Excoecaria cochinchinensis aka Laila Majnu

Excoecaria cochinchinensis is an evergreen shrub. It belongs to the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. Its native range starts in southeastern China and reaches Peninsular Malaysia. This range includes Taiwan. The plant also occurs in Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It grows in wet parts of the tropics. Wild plants grow beneath the forest trees and in thickets. They reach heights above sea level of about 4,920 feet [1,500 metres].

Most plants reach about 6.6 feet [2 metres] tall. This is their usual size as shrubs in gardens. Some grow into trees as tall as 49 feet [15 metres]. Such tall trees are exceptions, not the usual garden form. The plant keeps its leaves all year. The red backs of its leaves add to its appeal. Growers prize the plant for the colours of its leaves. The same species also has the name Excoecaria bicolor.

Flowers and fruit can appear at any time of year. Flower clusters may have one sex or both sexes. The sources give no flower colour or fruit shape. They give no details of the bark or branch form. Gardeners grow this shrub for its looks. People also grow it for use in folk medicine. They gather plants from the wild for the same purpose.

The plant can grow in shade or full sun. It needs moist soil that lets excess water drain away. Its growth in forests fits its ability to grow in shade. The evidence gives no frost limit or cold-hardiness zone. It gives no mature spread or rate of growth, either. Growers can raise new plants from seed or by air layering. The accounts name no specific pests or diseases.

The sources list no food uses. The plant's latex can cause skin or other irritation. People have also used this latex to poison fish. Folk medicine uses all parts to treat a range of ills. These include measles, tonsillitis, mumps, and lower-back muscle strain. Folk remedies for hives and shingles use roasted leaves. People apply leaves with red backs to help stop bleeding. Folk practice also uses the plant to make the womb contract. These records show folk uses, not proof of safe treatment. The latex may cause harm when people handle the plant.