I am searching for images of threatened plant species from Madagascar on behalf of the ARKive project and was wondering if anyone had any images of Euphorbia species from Madagascar that we could include on our website (www.arkive.org).

ARKive - www.arkive.org - is a unique conservation initiative.

Films, photographs and audio recordings of the world’s animals, plants and fungi are being gathered into one centralised digital library. To date we have created digital multi-media profiles for over 4000 species, digitising and storing more than 30,000 still images and over 5000 videos. These important audio-visual records are being preserved and maintained for the benefit of future generations and are being made available via the ARKive website.

It is ARKive's current aim to compile audio-visual records for the 17,000-plus species currently threatened with extinction, according to the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

We are looking for media (moving footage, still images, audio) to depict each species' life history as comprehensively as possible. In order for us to achieve this aim we need help from as wide a variety of donors as possible and would like to be able to add you to our list of contributors.

The ARKive website acts as a showcase for image providers, displaying copyright and contact details with every image and links to each media donor's own web activities.

If anyone has any images that they would like to contribute to ARKive then please get in touch (katrina.armour@wildscreen.org.uk).

Many thanks,
Kaz Armour

As this article indicates, plants in the genus contain complex chemical compounds which could have both beneficial and toxic effects if used medicinally.

At least for the succulent Euphorbias, they can cause a lot more than irritation - the white sap should be treated as a caustic chemical unless you know your reaction isn't going to be severe.

The crushed leaves of Aeonium lindleyii are said to be palliative to the sap, which in some cases can cause blindness. When you're chopping trees of Euphorbia ingens, you'd do well to have eye protection.