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On a visit to LS last week we parked our motorhome behind the ablution block under the cluster of Euphorbias, when a man approached me to warn me about the poisonous milk sap of the trees. According to him someone else parked there the previous week and some of the sap dripped onto his windscreen. He wiped it off with a cloth but somehow some of the stuff still got onto his hands. He then touched his face and the stuff got into his eyes. The upshot of it was that he had to go to the doctor.
The next day someone even pitched his tent under these trees.
As a kid we used to shoot these trees with a catapult to see the white sap streaming from the wound and once I touched the sap. I wiped my finger on my pants but what little was left on my finger nevertheless got into my eyes when I later touched my face. My skin developed large blisters and I could not see out of my eye for 2 days.
The bad news is that it is very easy to break the skin on the leave to let the sap flow. Any child with a stick or a sharpish stone can do it.
The guide to the trees of SA by the van Wyks states inter alia: "The milk sap is very poisonous and can cause blisters on the skin and temporary or permanent blindness if it gets into the eyes. The sap can also be taken as a laxative in small doses but several deaths have been recorded from an overdose"

Maybe management at LS should look into the matter before a real tragedy happens.

Hi Madalla thanks for the interesting information and photo's . I have seen some of these trees in other camps as well, if I am not mistaken in Satara, in the parking area at reception but there is a signage that say “poisonous”. There may even be other indigenous plants in camps that are poisonous too.

I have to agree that its not the most ideal plant to have in a camping area.

We had one in our house once and when our gardening assistant cut it down, despite me giving him gloves and goggles to wear still managed to get the minutest amount in his eye causing him great pain and me a lot of worry.

I also remember seeing those ones at Satara with the signboard warning people to the danger. .

Very interesting. It does sound as though it would be useful to have a sign.

Thanks for the photograph Now I know what to avoid.

I suppose it the “milk” or sap in the stems of the trees that are under pressure and even a slight tear can let the poisonous milk flow and a person should try to avoid contact. I remember a few years ago whilst driving to northern Kruger we saw a lot of those trees in Limpopo that have died. I am not sure whether the cause why so many died over the same period was ever established.

shame, the poor Euphorbia's (which has been standing there for decades -- possibly close to or more than a hundred years-- to reach that size) are only trying to defend themselves with their milksap... (against herbivores and children with sticks and pea-shooters etc. ). I think a little sign with information on the tree (education! - always a good idea!) and a warning that the sap is poisonous and can burn skin and eyes should be sufficient. (I always get so sad when I see people cutting down trees for no good reason at all - and in a National park it would be even worse.

From the Euphorbia page on Wikipedia:

In UK they would be a compensation claim waiting to happen.

Brummie That is exactly why I raised the matter.

Those trees are dangerous and at ground level where any child can get at them. Rather take pre-emptive action then having to say I am sorry after the tragedy. Indeed, a tragedy was barely averted some weeks ago, according to the gentleman who first spoke to me about the matter.

It will be impossible to fence them off effectively as the trees in the photo are right on the verge of the road.