FNA: Euphorbia agraria vs. Euphorbia mercurialina

	Euphorbia agraria	Euphorbia mercurialina
	urban spurge	Mercury spurge
Habit	Herbs, perennial, with slender, spreading rootstock.	Herbs, perennial, with thickened, spreading rootstock.
Stems	erect or ascending, unbranched or branched, 30–90 cm, glabrous.	erect, unbranched or branched, solitary or few, previous year's dead stems not persistent, 20–33 cm, glabrous or villous to lanate.
Leaves	petiole absent; blade oblong-elliptic, 20–65 × 9–20 mm, base truncate to auriculate, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces glabrous; venation conspicuously pinnate, midvein prominent.	alternate; stipules 0.1–0.2 mm; petiole (1–)2.5–5(–6) mm, ciliate to lanate; blade elliptic to ovate-deltate, proximal greatly reduced, scalelike, 34–55 × 20–26 mm, base rounded or cuneate, margins entire, densely ciliate, apex rounded to acute, abaxial surface sparsely pilose to villous (to lanate on midrib), adaxial surface glabrous; venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous.
Involucre	campanulate, 2.2–3 × 1.8–2 mm, glabrous; glands 4, crescent-shaped; 0.6–1 × 1–2 mm; horns slightly divergent to convergent, 0.1–0.2 mm.	campanulate or hemispheric, 1.5–2.5 × 2–3 mm, glabrous; glands 5, green, elliptic-reniform, 0.5 × 2 mm; appendages white, narrowly transversely-oblong to lunate, 0.6 × 2.5 mm, slightly erose.
Staminate flowers	15–20.	10–15.
Pistillate flowers	ovary glabrous; styles 1.2–2 mm, 2-fid.	ovary glabrous; styles 0.7–1.5 mm, 2-fid at apex.
Capsules	globose, 2–2.8 × 2.2–2.7 mm, 3-lobed; cocci rounded, smooth except finely granulate toward abaxial line, glabrous; columella 2.1–2.7 mm.	depressed-globose, 2.3–3.3 × 4.4–5 mm, glabrous; columella 2.7–3 mm.
Seeds	gray or whitish, ovoid-oblong, 2–2.1 × 1.2–1.3 mm, smooth; caruncle ± rounded and flattened, 0.8 × 0.6 mm.	tan to dark brown, ovoid, 2.2 × 1.6 mm, with shallow and coarse depressions; caruncle absent.
Cyathial	arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 8–15, 1–2 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts similar in shape but shorter and narrower than distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, rhombic to reniform, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse, mucronate; axillary cymose branches 12–23.
Cyathia	peduncle 0–2 mm.	usually in terminal pleiochasia, rarely dichasia; peduncle 1.3–2.7 mm (to 40–70 mm for central cyathium), filiform, glabrous.

	Euphorbia agraria	Euphorbia mercurialina
Phenology	Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.	Flowering and fruiting spring.
Habitat	Grasslands, roadside banks, pastures.	Dry to mesic wooded slopes and ravines.
Elevation	200–1600 m. (700–5200 ft.)	100–600 m. (300–2000 ft.)
Distribution	KS; MT; NE; NY; PA; WA; WY; AB; SK; Europe [Introduced in North America] [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AL; GA; KY; NC; TN [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Euphorbia mercurialina is restricted primarily to the Cumberland Plateau and southern Appalachians, with disjunct occurrences in south-central North Carolina in the lower Piedmont. The North Carolina plants are markedly hairier than plants elsewhere, with villous or lanate stems, petioles, and abaxial leaf midribs. Euphorbia mercurialina has been reported from Florida and Virginia in the past. The Virginia plants were apparently planted (A. S. Weakley 2010), and the Florida reports are most certainly in error. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 12, p. 298.	FNA vol. 12, p. 249.
Parent taxa	Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula	Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum
Sibling taxa	E. aaron-rossii, E. abramsiana, E. acuta, E. albomarginata, E. alta, E. angusta, E. antisyphilitica, E. arizonica, E. astyla, E. austrotexana, E. bicolor, E. bifurcata, E. bilobata, E. blodgettii, E. bombensis, E. brachycera, E. capitellata, E. carunculata, E. chaetocalyx, E. chamaesula, E. cinerascens, E. commutata, E. conferta, E. cordifolia, E. corollata, E. crenulata, E. cumulicola, E. cuphosperma, E. curtisii, E. cyathophora, E. cyparissias, E. davidii, E. deltoidea, E. dendroides, E. dentata, E. discoidalis, E. eriantha, E. exigua, E. exserta, E. exstipulata, E. falcata, E. fendleri, E. florida, E. floridana, E. garberi, E. georgiana, E. geyeri, E. glyptosperma, E. golondrina, E. gracillima, E. graminea, E. helioscopia, E. helleri, E. heterophylla, E. hexagona, E. hirta, E. hooveri, E. humistrata, E. hypericifolia, E. hyssopifolia, E. indivisa, E. innocua, E. inundata, E. ipecacuanhae, E. jaegeri, E. jejuna, E. laredana, E. lasiocarpa, E. lata, E. lathyris, E. longicruris, E. lurida, E. macropus, E. maculata, E. marginata, E. meganaesos, E. melanadenia, E. mendezii, E. mercurialina, E. mesembrianthemifolia, E. micromera, E. misera, E. missurica, E. myrsinites, E. nephradenia, E. nutans, E. oblongata, E. ocellata, E. ophthalmica, E. ouachitana, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. pediculifera, E. peplidion, E. peplus, E. perennans, E. pergamena, E. pinetorum, E. platyphyllos, E. platysperma, E. polycarpa, E. polygonifolia, E. polyphylla, E. porteriana, E. prostrata, E. pubentissima, E. purpurea, E. radians, E. rayturneri, E. revoluta, E. roemeriana, E. rosescens, E. schizoloba, E. serpens, E. serpillifolia, E. serrata, E. serrula, E. setiloba, E. simulans, E. spathulata, E. stictospora, E. strictior, E. telephioides, E. terracina, E. tetrapora, E. texana, E. theriaca, E. thymifolia, E. tithymaloides, E. trachysperma, E. trichotoma, E. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana	E. aaron-rossii, E. abramsiana, E. acuta, E. agraria, E. albomarginata, E. alta, E. angusta, E. antisyphilitica, E. arizonica, E. astyla, E. austrotexana, E. bicolor, E. bifurcata, E. bilobata, E. blodgettii, E. bombensis, E. brachycera, E. capitellata, E. carunculata, E. chaetocalyx, E. chamaesula, E. cinerascens, E. commutata, E. conferta, E. cordifolia, E. corollata, E. crenulata, E. cumulicola, E. cuphosperma, E. curtisii, E. cyathophora, E. cyparissias, E. davidii, E. deltoidea, E. dendroides, E. dentata, E. discoidalis, E. eriantha, E. exigua, E. exserta, E. exstipulata, E. falcata, E. fendleri, E. florida, E. floridana, E. garberi, E. georgiana, E. geyeri, E. glyptosperma, E. golondrina, E. gracillima, E. graminea, E. helioscopia, E. helleri, E. heterophylla, E. hexagona, E. hirta, E. hooveri, E. humistrata, E. hypericifolia, E. hyssopifolia, E. indivisa, E. innocua, E. inundata, E. ipecacuanhae, E. jaegeri, E. jejuna, E. laredana, E. lasiocarpa, E. lata, E. lathyris, E. longicruris, E. lurida, E. macropus, E. maculata, E. marginata, E. meganaesos, E. melanadenia, E. mendezii, E. mesembrianthemifolia, E. micromera, E. misera, E. missurica, E. myrsinites, E. nephradenia, E. nutans, E. oblongata, E. ocellata, E. ophthalmica, E. ouachitana, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. pediculifera, E. peplidion, E. peplus, E. perennans, E. pergamena, E. pinetorum, E. platyphyllos, E. platysperma, E. polycarpa, E. polygonifolia, E. polyphylla, E. porteriana, E. prostrata, E. pubentissima, E. purpurea, E. radians, E. rayturneri, E. revoluta, E. roemeriana, E. rosescens, E. schizoloba, E. serpens, E. serpillifolia, E. serrata, E. serrula, E. setiloba, E. simulans, E. spathulata, E. stictospora, E. strictior, E. telephioides, E. terracina, E. tetrapora, E. texana, E. theriaca, E. thymifolia, E. tithymaloides, E. trachysperma, E. trichotoma, E. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana
Synonyms	Tithymalus agrarius	Tithymalopsis mercurialina
Name authority	M. Bieberstein: Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 1: 375. (1808)	Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 212. (1803)
Web links	Local floras: WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, KS Wildflowers, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Euphorbia mercurialina

urban spurge

Mercury spurge

Habit

Herbs, perennial, with slender, spreading rootstock.

Herbs, perennial, with thickened, spreading rootstock.

Stems

erect or ascending, unbranched or branched, 30–90 cm, glabrous.

erect, unbranched or branched, solitary or few, previous year's dead stems not persistent, 20–33 cm, glabrous or villous to lanate.

Leaves

petiole absent;

blade oblong-elliptic, 20–65 × 9–20 mm, base truncate to auriculate, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces glabrous;

venation conspicuously pinnate, midvein prominent.

alternate;

stipules 0.1–0.2 mm;

petiole (1–)2.5–5(–6) mm, ciliate to lanate;

blade elliptic to ovate-deltate, proximal greatly reduced, scalelike, 34–55 × 20–26 mm, base rounded or cuneate, margins entire, densely ciliate, apex rounded to acute, abaxial surface sparsely pilose to villous (to lanate on midrib), adaxial surface glabrous;

venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous.

Involucre

campanulate, 2.2–3 × 1.8–2 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, crescent-shaped; 0.6–1 × 1–2 mm;

horns slightly divergent to convergent, 0.1–0.2 mm.

campanulate or hemispheric, 1.5–2.5 × 2–3 mm, glabrous;

glands 5, green, elliptic-reniform, 0.5 × 2 mm;

appendages white, narrowly transversely-oblong to lunate, 0.6 × 2.5 mm, slightly erose.

Staminate flowers

15–20.

10–15.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 1.2–2 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.7–1.5 mm, 2-fid at apex.

Capsules

globose, 2–2.8 × 2.2–2.7 mm, 3-lobed;

cocci rounded, smooth except finely granulate toward abaxial line, glabrous;

columella 2.1–2.7 mm.

depressed-globose, 2.3–3.3 × 4.4–5 mm, glabrous;

columella 2.7–3 mm.

Seeds

gray or whitish, ovoid-oblong, 2–2.1 × 1.2–1.3 mm, smooth;

caruncle ± rounded and flattened, 0.8 × 0.6 mm.

tan to dark brown, ovoid, 2.2 × 1.6 mm, with shallow and coarse depressions;

caruncle absent.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 8–15, 1–2 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts similar in shape but shorter and narrower than distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, rhombic to reniform, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse, mucronate;

axillary cymose branches 12–23.

Cyathia

peduncle 0–2 mm.

usually in terminal pleiochasia, rarely dichasia;

peduncle 1.3–2.7 mm (to 40–70 mm for central cyathium), filiform, glabrous.

Euphorbia agraria

Euphorbia mercurialina

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.

Flowering and fruiting spring.

Habitat

Grasslands, roadside banks, pastures.

Dry to mesic wooded slopes and ravines.

Elevation

200–1600 m. (700–5200 ft.)

100–600 m. (300–2000 ft.)

Distribution

KS; MT; NE; NY; PA; WA; WY; AB; SK; Europe [Introduced in North America]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AL; GA; KY; NC; TN

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Euphorbia mercurialina is restricted primarily to the Cumberland Plateau and southern Appalachians, with disjunct occurrences in south-central North Carolina in the lower Piedmont. The North Carolina plants are markedly hairier than plants elsewhere, with villous or lanate stems, petioles, and abaxial leaf midribs. Euphorbia mercurialina has been reported from Florida and Virginia in the past. The Virginia plants were apparently planted (A. S. Weakley 2010), and the Florida reports are most certainly in error.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source

FNA vol. 12, p. 298.

FNA vol. 12, p. 249.

Parent taxa

Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula

Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum

Sibling taxa

E. aaron-rossii, E. abramsiana, E. acuta, E. albomarginata, E. alta, E. angusta, E. antisyphilitica, E. arizonica, E. astyla, E. austrotexana, E. bicolor, E. bifurcata, E. bilobata, E. blodgettii, E. bombensis, E. brachycera, E. capitellata, E. carunculata, E. chaetocalyx, E. chamaesula, E. cinerascens, E. commutata, E. conferta, E. cordifolia, E. corollata, E. crenulata, E. cumulicola, E. cuphosperma, E. curtisii, E. cyathophora, E. cyparissias, E. davidii, E. deltoidea, E. dendroides, E. dentata, E. discoidalis, E. eriantha, E. exigua, E. exserta, E. exstipulata, E. falcata, E. fendleri, E. florida, E. floridana, E. garberi, E. georgiana, E. geyeri, E. glyptosperma, E. golondrina, E. gracillima, E. graminea, E. helioscopia, E. helleri, E. heterophylla, E. hexagona, E. hirta, E. hooveri, E. humistrata, E. hypericifolia, E. hyssopifolia, E. indivisa, E. innocua, E. inundata, E. ipecacuanhae, E. jaegeri, E. jejuna, E. laredana, E. lasiocarpa, E. lata, E. lathyris, E. longicruris, E. lurida, E. macropus, E. maculata, E. marginata, E. meganaesos, E. melanadenia, E. mendezii, E. mercurialina, E. mesembrianthemifolia, E. micromera, E. misera, E. missurica, E. myrsinites, E. nephradenia, E. nutans, E. oblongata, E. ocellata, E. ophthalmica, E. ouachitana, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. pediculifera, E. peplidion, E. peplus, E. perennans, E. pergamena, E. pinetorum, E. platyphyllos, E. platysperma, E. polycarpa, E. polygonifolia, E. polyphylla, E. porteriana, E. prostrata, E. pubentissima, E. purpurea, E. radians, E. rayturneri, E. revoluta, E. roemeriana, E. rosescens, E. schizoloba, E. serpens, E. serpillifolia, E. serrata, E. serrula, E. setiloba, E. simulans, E. spathulata, E. stictospora, E. strictior, E. telephioides, E. terracina, E. tetrapora, E. texana, E. theriaca, E. thymifolia, E. tithymaloides, E. trachysperma, E. trichotoma, E. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana

E. aaron-rossii, E. abramsiana, E. acuta, E. agraria, E. albomarginata, E. alta, E. angusta, E. antisyphilitica, E. arizonica, E. astyla, E. austrotexana, E. bicolor, E. bifurcata, E. bilobata, E. blodgettii, E. bombensis, E. brachycera, E. capitellata, E. carunculata, E. chaetocalyx, E. chamaesula, E. cinerascens, E. commutata, E. conferta, E. cordifolia, E. corollata, E. crenulata, E. cumulicola, E. cuphosperma, E. curtisii, E. cyathophora, E. cyparissias, E. davidii, E. deltoidea, E. dendroides, E. dentata, E. discoidalis, E. eriantha, E. exigua, E. exserta, E. exstipulata, E. falcata, E. fendleri, E. florida, E. floridana, E. garberi, E. georgiana, E. geyeri, E. glyptosperma, E. golondrina, E. gracillima, E. graminea, E. helioscopia, E. helleri, E. heterophylla, E. hexagona, E. hirta, E. hooveri, E. humistrata, E. hypericifolia, E. hyssopifolia, E. indivisa, E. innocua, E. inundata, E. ipecacuanhae, E. jaegeri, E. jejuna, E. laredana, E. lasiocarpa, E. lata, E. lathyris, E. longicruris, E. lurida, E. macropus, E. maculata, E. marginata, E. meganaesos, E. melanadenia, E. mendezii, E. mesembrianthemifolia, E. micromera, E. misera, E. missurica, E. myrsinites, E. nephradenia, E. nutans, E. oblongata, E. ocellata, E. ophthalmica, E. ouachitana, E. parishii, E. parryi, E. pediculifera, E. peplidion, E. peplus, E. perennans, E. pergamena, E. pinetorum, E. platyphyllos, E. platysperma, E. polycarpa, E. polygonifolia, E. polyphylla, E. porteriana, E. prostrata, E. pubentissima, E. purpurea, E. radians, E. rayturneri, E. revoluta, E. roemeriana, E. rosescens, E. schizoloba, E. serpens, E. serpillifolia, E. serrata, E. serrula, E. setiloba, E. simulans, E. spathulata, E. stictospora, E. strictior, E. telephioides, E. terracina, E. tetrapora, E. texana, E. theriaca, E. thymifolia, E. tithymaloides, E. trachysperma, E. trichotoma, E. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana

Synonyms

Tithymalus agrarius

Tithymalopsis mercurialina

Name authority

M. Bieberstein: Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 1: 375. (1808)

Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 212. (1803)

Web links

Local floras: WA
Local Web sites: Flora NW, KS Wildflowers, PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database
LBJ Wildflower Center
SEINet
Plants of the World Online
Encyclopedia of Life
Wikipedia
Google Image Search

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America, UW Burke Herbarium

The species comparison tool is brought to you by:

Flora of North America species comparison

Euphorbia agraria

Euphorbia mercurialina

Euphorbia agraria

Euphorbia mercurialina