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urban spurge

wolf's milk, leafy spurge

Habit Perennial from sturdy rhizomes, the stems 2-9 dm. tall, erect, simple below but freely and umbellately branched above, glaucous and usually glabrous.
Leaves

The main cauline leaves alternate, oblong to linear-oblanceolate, entire, 2-6 cm. long and 2-8 mm. broad, sessile; lower leaves scale-like; floral leaves very broadly cordate-ovate, 12-16 mm. long.

Flowers

Inflorescence of terminal cymes on the branches;

flowers tiny, monoecious, borne in involucres; staminate flowers numerous, naked, each consisting of a single stamen; pistillate flower single and terminal in the involucre;

involucres 2-3 mm. long, bearing 4 brownish-green glands with short, divergent horns.

Fruit

Capsule nearly smooth, separating into three 1-seeded segments.

Euphorbia agraria

Euphorbia virgata

Flowering time June-August May-June
Habitat Fields and grasslands, where disturbed. Noxious weed of disturbed soils
Distribution
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in eastern Washington; also in Montana, and scattered locations eastward to eastern North America.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
[BONAP county map]
Origin Introduced from Europe Introduced from Eurasia
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
E. amygdaloides, E. characias, E. cyparissias, E. epithymoides, E. glyptosperma, E. helioscopia, E. lathyris, E. maculata, E. myrsinites, E. oblongata, E. peplus, E. platyphyllos, E. segetalis, E. serpillifolia, E. serrulata, E. spathulata, E. virgata
E. agraria, E. amygdaloides, E. characias, E. cyparissias, E. epithymoides, E. glyptosperma, E. helioscopia, E. lathyris, E. maculata, E. myrsinites, E. oblongata, E. peplus, E. platyphyllos, E. segetalis, E. serpillifolia, E. serrulata, E. spathulata
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