FNA: Euphorbia agraria vs. Euphorbia peplidion

	Euphorbia agraria	Euphorbia peplidion
	urban spurge	low spurge
Habit	Herbs, perennial, with slender, spreading rootstock.	Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems	erect or ascending, unbranched or branched, 30–90 cm, glabrous.	erect, unbranched or branched, 5–20 cm, glabrous.
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.	petiole 0–0.2 mm; blade linear-oblanceolate to cuneate-spatulate, 5–20 × 1–4 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous; venation inconspicuously pinnate, midvein prominent.
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.	broadly campanulate-turbinate, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.9 mm, glabrous; glands 4, elliptic, 0.2–0.3 × 0.5–0.6 mm; horns divergent, 0.4–0.5 mm.
Staminate flowers	15–20.	5–10.
Pistillate flowers	ovary glabrous; styles 1.2–2 mm, 2-fid.	ovary glabrous; styles 0.5–0.7 mm, 2-fid.
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, 1.8–2.3 × 2.6–3 mm, 3-lobed; cocci slightly flattened, without wings, smooth, glabrous; columella 1.3–1.5 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.	gray to brown, oblong, 1.3–1.6 × 0.9–1.1 mm, abaxial faces irregularly large-pitted, adaxial faces longitudinally sulcate; caruncle flat, umbonate, 2-lobed, 0.4 × 0.7 mm.
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.	arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3(–5), 1–3 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts linear, lanceolate, or spatulate, similar in size to distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, rhomboid-lanceolate to ovate, falcate, base rounded to obtuse, margins entire or slightly erose, apex acute; axillary cymose branches 0–3.
Cyathia	peduncle 0–2 mm.	peduncle 0.3–0.5 mm.

	Euphorbia agraria	Euphorbia peplidion
Phenology	Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.	Flowering and fruiting late winter–spring.
Habitat	Grasslands, roadside banks, pastures.	Dry, sandy areas, open areas with poor soils, roadsides, stream banks.
Elevation	200–1600 m. (700–5200 ft.)	100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)
Distribution	KS; MT; NE; NY; PA; WA; WY; AB; SK; Europe [Introduced in North America] [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	TX [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Euphorbia peplidion is native to central and south-central Texas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 12, p. 298.	FNA vol. 12, p. 306.
Parent taxa	Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula	Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula
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. 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. 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	Tithymalus peplidion
Name authority	M. Bieberstein: Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 1: 375. (1808)	Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 191. (1859)
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 agraria

Euphorbia peplidion

urban spurge

low spurge

Habit

Herbs, perennial, with slender, spreading rootstock.

Herbs, annual, with taproot.

Stems

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

erect, unbranched or branched, 5–20 cm, glabrous.

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.

petiole 0–0.2 mm;

blade linear-oblanceolate to cuneate-spatulate, 5–20 × 1–4 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous;

venation inconspicuously pinnate, midvein prominent.

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.

broadly campanulate-turbinate, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.9 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, elliptic, 0.2–0.3 × 0.5–0.6 mm;

horns divergent, 0.4–0.5 mm.

Staminate flowers

15–20.

5–10.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 1.2–2 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.5–0.7 mm, 2-fid.

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, 1.8–2.3 × 2.6–3 mm, 3-lobed;

cocci slightly flattened, without wings, smooth, glabrous;

columella 1.3–1.5 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.

gray to brown, oblong, 1.3–1.6 × 0.9–1.1 mm, abaxial faces irregularly large-pitted, adaxial faces longitudinally sulcate;

caruncle flat, umbonate, 2-lobed, 0.4 × 0.7 mm.

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.

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3(–5), 1–3 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts linear, lanceolate, or spatulate, similar in size to distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, rhomboid-lanceolate to ovate, falcate, base rounded to obtuse, margins entire or slightly erose, apex acute;

axillary cymose branches 0–3.

Cyathia

peduncle 0–2 mm.

peduncle 0.3–0.5 mm.

Euphorbia agraria

Euphorbia peplidion

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.

Flowering and fruiting late winter–spring.

Habitat

Grasslands, roadside banks, pastures.

Dry, sandy areas, open areas with poor soils, roadsides, stream banks.

Elevation

200–1600 m. (700–5200 ft.)

100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)

Distribution

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

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Euphorbia peplidion is native to central and south-central Texas.

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

Source

FNA vol. 12, p. 298.

FNA vol. 12, p. 306.

Parent taxa

Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula

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. 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. 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

Tithymalus peplidion

Name authority

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

Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 191. (1859)

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

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Euphorbia agraria

Euphorbia peplidion

Euphorbia agraria

Euphorbia peplidion