Euphorbus (physician)
Greek physician to Mauretanian king Juba II
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Euphorbus (Ancient Greek: Εὔφορβος Euphorbos) was the Greek physician of Juba II (r. 30 BC – 25 BC). He wrote that a succulent plant, similar to the Euphorbia, was a powerful laxative.[1] In 12 BC, Juba named this plant after his physician Euphorbus in response to Augustus dedicating a statue to Antonius Musa, Augustus's own personal physician and Euphorbus' brother.[1]
Botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus assigned the name Euphorbia to the entire genus in the physician's honour.[2]