I was hoping someone could help identify a plant here on the island. My neighbor, who lives off island, has a tree about 25 foot high that has succulent, cactus like "leaves" on it. Each branch is covered in hard, sharp thorns. When you cut the branches, a white milky substance secretes from it. It appears to be sort of like poison ivy. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks, Wes

Hi Sandy and Wes, I used the Keyword search at the bottom of Every Bonaire Talk page and came up with this thread from a while ago...
Is this the tree?
Welcome to Bonaire Talk

Freddie,
I appreciate your effort, but no, it isn't the tree.
This thing looks like a cactus, but it has a main trunk that is around 14" in diameter. The branches are trimmed back so that all you have is trunk for the first 7 foot of height. You can walk under it and look up at the branches. I'll take a picture and try to figure out how to put in in here. Thanks, Wes

Wes send me the photo if you are posting challenged and I will resize and post it for you..
scubahb@optonline.net

freddie,
It is on the way. Thanks, Wes

hummm a very odd tree almost looks like a Christmas Cactus tree...

I wonder if that is grafted? (Is that the right term?) It almost looks like it is. Whatever it is, I like it

I don't think it is grafted. There are other ones on the island. A botany website tells me it is a Euphorbia, but he doesn't know which kind. I'll keep looking.

Have you talked to any of the 'gardeners' or botanists on island??

Don Stewart, the other fellow who sells plants (he writes and advertises in BonRep) or Jerry Ligon at Bonaire Dive and Adventure are three who are very likely to help you. On island sounds like your best source.

Well
I feel quite sure that I have an ID. However it is in Dr. Bart A De Boer's book "Our Plants and Trees" I don't know if revealing that information allows me to post it. However, I guess I can say that it is Monkey Puzzle Euphorbia, locally known as Kåktus sürnam
(Euphorbia lactea). If the mods say it's OK I'll put the picture and text up.
Mick

Wow
As I said, the picture and description in the book match, but after I posted I googled the scientific name and that doesn't match at all.
Mick

This does appear to be a Euphorbia lactea. I think the confusion with the Google search might be because there are some interesting variations of this plant. Euphorbia lactea cristata has strange crest-like forms, but on Bonaire, there are plenty of the form that resemble the one in the photo. Usually they have not been limbed up. The milky sap is an irritant.

I agree, euphorbia lactea. From Wikipedia: Euphorbia lactea (Mottled Spurge, Frilled Fan or Elkhorn) is a species of spurge native to tropical Asia, mainly in India. It is an erect shrub growing up to 5 m tall, with succulent branches 3-5 cm diameter, ridged, with a triangular or rhombic cross-section; the ridges are spiny, with short spines up to 5 mm long. The leaves are minute, and soon deciduous. All parts of the plant contain a poisonous milky latex. It is used medicinally in India. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant, both in the tropics, and as a houseplant in temperate regions; a number of cultivars have been selected for ornamental use, notably 'Cristata' with frilled branching.[2][5] Other colloquial names include Candelabra spurge, Candelabrum tree, Candelabra cactus, Candelabra plant, Dragon bones, False cactus, Hatrack cactus, Milkstripe euphorbia, Mottled candlestick.

Thanks everyone for your help. Just one suggestion. Don't get any of the white milky stuff on yourself. That's what started this whole thing. It has taken several days, but the rash is starting to go away.

Hey, Sandy, sorry to hear about your brush with the tree. Just FYI, any "milky white sap" down here is toxic to varying degrees. Lots of things which you wouldn't expect (like Frangipani) also have the same, so be careful when you're cutting anything. Susan

we have some cactus here that look at little like that...in our house, not outside. i think they are called cathedral cactus. the branches look the same but the trunk is different. we've cut ours back and have been exposed to the milky stuff but never had a reaction so the one you have is probably different.

as susan just said, there are things in the islands that can be very toxic. i know of one tree that is so toxic that you can develop blisters just from standing under it during a rainstorm and having rainwater drip from the tree onto your skin. i can't remember the name but i think it begins with "m".