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snow-on-the-prairie

Chiricahua Mountain sandmat

Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, annual, with slender taproot.
Stems

erect, unbranched or branched, 40–100 cm, pilose.

erect, 15–60 cm, usually glabrous, rarely puberulent.

Leaves

alternate;

stipules 0.3–0.4 mm;

petiole 0.3–1 mm, pilose;

blade narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 37–54 × 7–17 mm, base cuneate to slightly rounded, margins entire, apex aristate or acute, surfaces pilose;

venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous.

opposite;

stipules distinct, divided into 3–4 subulate-filiform divisions, 0.4–1.6 mm, usually glabrous, rarely puberulent;

petiole 0.5–2.5 mm, glabrous;

blade usually linear, rarely to narrowly elliptic, 10–40(–60) × 0.5–2.5 mm, base symmetric, attenuate, margins serrulate, often revolute, apex acute, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely puberulent; obscurely pinnately veined.

Involucre

campanulate, 2.7–3.5 × 2.2–3 mm, densely pilose;

glands 4–5, green to pale greenish yellow, reniform, 0.6–0.7 × 1.4–1.6 mm;

appendages white, obdeltate to orbiculate, 1.4–2.5 × 1.7–3 mm, dentate to erose.

obconic, 1.7–2.4 × 1.5–2.1 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, greenish yellow to slightly pink, circular to oblong, 0.4–0.5 × 0.4–0.6 mm;

appendages white to pink, obovoid, circular, flabellate, or oblong, 0.8–2.9 × 1–2.8 mm, distal margin entire.

Staminate flowers

30–70.

25–35.

Pistillate flowers

ovary pilose;

styles 0.7–1.2 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.8–1.4 mm, 2-fid entire length.

Capsules

depressed-ovoid, 3.5–7.5 × 6–8.7 mm, densely pilose;

columella 4.5–5.5 mm.

oblate, 2.2–2.5 × 2.7–3.1 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.8–2.1 mm.

Seeds

tan to brown, ovoid, 4.3–4.5 × 3.7–3.9 mm, alveolate;

caruncle absent.

light gray to light brown, ovoid, slightly 4-angled in cross section, 1.6–2 × 1.3–1.7 mm, with 2 or 3 well-developed transverse ridges.

Cyathia

in terminal pleiochasia dichasial and pleiochasial bracts linear to narrowly oblanceolate, with conspicuous white margins;

peduncle 1.2–3 mm, densely pilose.

solitary at nodes or in small, cymose clusters at branch tips;

peduncle 1.2–8.1 mm.

Euphorbia bicolor

Euphorbia florida

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting summer–late fall.
Habitat Prairies, blackland (calcareous) prairies, pastures and clearings in former blackland prairie areas, roadside clearings. Sandy flats, gravelly washes, rocky hillsides, talus slopes, desert scrub, desert grasslands, mesquite woodlands, rarely oak woodlands.
Elevation 100–200 m. (300–700 ft.) 600–1300 m. (2000–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; LA; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia bicolor is similar in appearance to E. marginata but can be distinguished by its linear to narrowly oblanceolate bracts and the presence of hairs on all parts of the plant.

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

Euphorbia florida is known in the flora area from Coconino County south to the Mexican border

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 243. FNA vol. 12, p. 267.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum
Sibling taxa
E. aaron-rossii, E. abramsiana, E. acuta, E. agraria, E. albomarginata, E. alta, E. angusta, E. antisyphilitica, E. arizonica, E. astyla, E. austrotexana, 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. 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
Synonyms Chamaesyce florida
Name authority Engelmann & A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 233. (1845) Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 189. (1859)
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