UW Burke Herbarium species comparison

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Euphorbia lathyris

Euphorbia glyptosperma

mole plant, gopher plant, caper spurge

rib seed sandmat, corrugate seeded spurge, ridge seeded spurge
Habit Glabrous and glaucous annual, the stems erect, fleshy, dichotomously branched, 3-10 dm. tall. Monoecious, glabrous annuals with prostrate, freely-branching stems 0.5-4 dm. long.
Leaves

Leaves opposite, numerous, narrowly oblong, 6-12 cm. long and sessile near the stem base;

leaves broadened upward on the stem, becoming ovate.

Leaves opposite, obliquely lanceolate to oblong, 5-15 mm. long, entire or with fine, rounded serrations;

stipules mostly linear, 1 mm. long.
Flowers

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

involucre about 3 mm. long, purplish, bearing 4 glands with short, rounded horns.

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

involucre bearing 4 pinkish glands with whitish appendages, a fifth gland represented by a short, fringed lobe.
Fruits

Capsule globose, coarsely wrinkled, 5-10 mm. long, separating into three 1-seeded segments.

Capsules smooth, 1.5 mm. long;

seeds 1.2 mm. long, grayish, prismatic, coarsely wrinkled.

Euphorbia lathyris

Euphorbia glyptosperma
Flowering time April-May June-September
Habitat Disturbed soil and wasteland. Dry, sandy soil, from the plains to the lower mountains.
Distribution
Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California east to Idaho, Montana, Arizona, and Texas; widely distributed in eastern North America.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Introduced from Eurasia Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
E. agraria, E. amygdaloides, E. characias, E. cyparissias, E. epithymoides, E. glyptosperma, E. helioscopia, 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. helioscopia, E. lathyris, E. maculata, E. myrsinites, E. oblongata, E. peplus, E. platyphyllos, E. segetalis, E. serpillifolia, E. serrulata, E. spathulata, E. virgata
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the University of Washington's Burke Herbarium.



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