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Description: Euphorbia atoto is a low lying to erect, sprawling, freely-branching glabrous subshrub up to 2ft (60cm) in height. The stems are decumbent or ascending, branched, and appear jointed and thickened at the nodes. E. atoto has simple grey-green elliptic leaves, numerous small, green to white flowers borne in short axillary bunches (cymes), and produces milky sap. Its fruits are round capsules, each with three lobes that splits into three single-seeded segments.
Distribution: Euphorbia atoto is apparently native (indigenous) from islands in the Indian Ocean, through areas of tropical southern and southeastern Asia (e.g., China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines), and further into parts of New Guinea and Australia as well as to all of the major island groups in Micronesia, and as far as the Marquesas in Polynesia. In all of these areas, E. atoto is generally a relatively small spreading shrub on or near the seashore. Note: one to several small, weedy, alien Euphorbia species are now established on many of the Micronesian islands; these may include the following: Euphorbia cyathophora Murr., Euphorbia heterophylla L., Euphorbia hirta L., and others.
Uses on Islands and Island Groups: Parts of Euphorbia atoto plants are reportedly used medicinally in some areas of its indigenous range; and some of the more recently introduced, weedy Euphorbia species have also been incorporated into local medicine on some of the Micronesian Islands (see below).
Uses on Ulithi Atoll: Lessa (1977:161) recorded Habwubwulen as the local name for “Euphorbia atoto Forst. f.” on Mogmog Islet of Ulithi Atoll, and was informed that this “milky sap” plant was used in local medicine. Note: Lessa also recorded Euphorbia hirta L. on Mogmog Islet of Ulithi Atoll where he indicated that this “milkysap herb” is known as Tekherokhar and was also “used medicinally.” Note: E. hirta is most likely an alien herb that has been introduced relatively recently to several islands in Micronesia such as Ulithi.
Uses on Ifaluk Atoll: Lessa (1977:161), in his comparison with usage of Euphorbia atoto Forst. f. on Ulithi Atoll, reported that E. atoto “is used to treat baby skin rash” on Ifaluk Atoll.
Uses on Losap Atoll: Manner and Sana (1995:65) reported a “New record” for Euphorbia atoto Forst. f. (as “Euphorbia chamissonis (Kl. & Gke.) Boiss.),” which they collected in June 1988 and described as a “Common trailside weed seen on Lewel Islet only,” with “No local name.”
Uses in the Mariana Islands: More than a hundred years ago, Safford (1905:58) listed Euphorbia atoto and E. hirta as among the many weedy species colonizing abandoned clearings on Guam which were “usually overgrown either with common tropical weeds, thickets formed by hedge plants, plants once cultivated which have continued to grow, or indigenous species which usually grow on the edge of the forest or in open places.” Stone (1970:373) described the beach spurge on Guam, which he classified as “Euphorbia chamissonis (Klotsch & Garcke) Boissier” (syn. for E. atoto), i.e., as a “glaucous subshrub, with decumbent or ascending stems, branched, thickened at the nodes, with opposite, petiolate, ovate-oblong leaves, mostly 1.5-3 cm long and nearly 2 cm wide, entire, glabrous, obtuse at both ends; cymes of cyathia in upper axils and also terminal on short branches; nectaries small, with very narrow appendages; capsule glabrous; seeds smooth.” Stone referred to this “very conspicuous” species with its bluish-gray-green glaucous appearance” as a “widespread strand plant in the Tropical Pacific…found on sandy beaches [and] perhaps not distinct from E. atoto Forster.” It has been reported that Euphorbia hirta (known in Chamorro language as Golundrina), which is an alien euphorb relative of the indigenous native Euphorbia atoto, has been used by local traditional curers (suranderos) as a “common garden herb” included “in an astringent douche mixture” (McMakin 1978:46).
Uses in Satawal: Fosberg (1969:8) referred to this species as E. chamissonis, and listed Echich as the local vernacular name on the solitary coral island of Satawal the easternmost island in the Yap island group located in the central region of the Caroline Islnds.
Uses in Namoluk: Marshall (1975:38), referring toEuphorbia atoto G. Forst. as Euphorbia chamissonis (Kl. & Gke.) Boiss., indicated that this small plant could be found on Namoluk Atoll (he collected it on the atoll islet of Amwes); Marshal also noted that its vernacular name was “pisinom” and was used in local medicine.
Uses in Pingelap: St. John (1948:111) recorded “Euphorbia Atoto Forst.” as growing in a grassy thicket on this atoll where this small tufted, erect plant is known as “Pelepel.”
Uses in Marshall Islands: Euphorbia atoto is reportedly known locally in the Marshall Islands as Pedol (or Bedol). However, St. John (1951:282) with phonetic American rendering recorded “perau” as the local name for E. atoto on Tabal Islet of Aur Atoll, and recorded “peiralo” as the local name for E. atoto on Majuro Islet of MajuroAtoll. On the other hand, according to Vander Velde (2003:15), “Chamaesyce atoto” [i.e., Euphorbia atoto] is known on Majuro Atoll as “ptidfil” which refers to it pushing up the soil or in reference to its roots; Vander Velde also indicated that “ptidfil” is also “a name at times also applied to Boerhavia tetrandra” which is another relatively small, herbaceous species found along the margins of beaches and in disturbed sites near the coast on Majuro. Euphorbia atoto is indeed uncommon on Majuro where it occurs near the edges of beaches, as well as in open habitats just inland from the coast, but is reportedly more common on the outer atolls, sometimes found in inland sites among coconut plantations; “medicinally E. atoto is used for maintaining a [baby’s] good health… [and the] sap of the [E. atoto] is used in Marshallese tattooing (eo)” (Taafaki et al. 2006:201). Thaman (1987:35) apparently listed “puripur” as a local name for E. atoto in the Marshall Islands.
Uses in Kiribati: Thaman (1994:127-128), referred to Euphorbia atoto as Euphorbia chamissonis, and listed Te tarai as the local name for this plant in Kiribati. According to Thaman and Samuelu (2016:64), in Kiribati,this native beach spurge “is used as a purgative; the milky latex is collected in the [marine bivalve] shell of te koikoi (Asaphis violascens), mixed with the juice of a green coconut (moimoto) and administered to people who have been saved from drowning to make them vomit out the salt water they have swallowed.” E. atoto on Banaba Island is also said to have been used as an “abortifacient” [see the following section below].
Uses in Banaba: Thaman and Samuelu (2016:64) reported E. atoto as occurring occasionally on the raised reef island of Banaba where this “Spreading small sub-shrub on sandy beaches [is] seen in the herbaceous coastal strand vegetation to the east of the main settlement on beaches on the southeast of the island.” In Kiribati, as noted above, this native beach spurge is used as a purgative with the milky latex extracted from the plant, gathered together in the shell of te koikoi (Asaphis violascens, a marine bivalve invertebrate animal), mixed with the juice of a green coconut (moimoto), and then given to persons “who have been saved from drowning to make them vomit out the salt water they have swallowed.” Thaman and Samuelu (2016:64) also reported that E. atoto is “said to have been used as an abortifacient” on Banaba Island.
Uses in Nauru: Thaman (1994:127-128),referred to this species (E. atoto) on Nauru as E. chamissonis, and listedE mai as the local name for this beach spurge on this raised reef island.