Euphorbia bicolor |
Euphorbia roemeriana |
|
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snow-on-the-prairie |
Roemer's spurge |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | Herbs, annual, with taproot. |
Stems | erect, unbranched or branched, 40–100 cm, pilose. |
erect, occasionally decumbent at base, branched, 15–30 cm, glabrous. |
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. |
petiole 2–5 mm; blade oblanceolate to obovate, 5–20 × 5–10 mm (larger leaves in distal portion of stem), base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded, surfaces glabrous; venation pinnate. |
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. |
campanulate, 1.5–2 × 1–1.6 mm, glabrous; glands 4, elliptic to trapezoidal, 0.4–0.6 × 0.7–1.2 mm; horns slightly convergent, 0.1–0.3 mm. |
Staminate flowers | 30–70. |
10–12. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary pilose; styles 0.7–1.2 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.6–1 mm, 2-fid. |
Capsules | depressed-ovoid, 3.5–7.5 × 6–8.7 mm, densely pilose; columella 4.5–5.5 mm. |
subglobose, 2–2.5 × 2.4–3 mm, slightly lobed; cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous; columella 1.5–1.8 mm. |
Seeds | tan to brown, ovoid, 4.3–4.5 × 3.7–3.9 mm, alveolate; caruncle absent. |
brown, oblong-ovoid, 1.6–1.8 × 1.4–1.5 mm, with scattered, deep and broad pits; caruncle conic, reniform, 0.3–0.4 × 0.4–0.6 mm. |
Cyathia | in terminal pleiochasia dichasial and pleiochasial bracts linear to narrowly oblanceolate, with conspicuous white margins; peduncle 1.2–3 mm, densely pilose. |
peduncle 0–0.9 mm. |
Cyathial | arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3, 1–4 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts ovate to oblong, similar in size to distal leaves; dichasial bracts connate 1/2 length, reniform to semicircular, base truncate to perfoliate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse; axillary cymose branches 0–3. |
|
Euphorbia bicolor |
Euphorbia roemeriana |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. | Flowering and fruiting spring. |
Habitat | Prairies, blackland (calcareous) prairies, pastures and clearings in former blackland prairie areas, roadside clearings. | Rich calcareous soils, creek canyons. |
Elevation | 100–200 m. (300–700 ft.) | 100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.) |
Distribution |
AR; LA; OK; TX
|
TX |
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.) |
D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston (1970) suggested that Euphorbia roemeriana, which is restricted to the eastern part of the Edwards Plateau, is the southern counterpart of E. commutata, to which it is morphologically very similar. However, molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that it is most closely related to E. austrotexana and E. longicruris (J. A. Peirson et al. 2014). Euphorbia roemeriana can be distinguished from E. commutata and several of the other small, annual species of subg. Esula by its consistently connate dichasial bracts. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 243. | FNA vol. 12, p. 308. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Tithymalus roemerianus | |
Name authority | Engelmann & A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 233. (1845) | Scheele: Linnaea 22: 151. (1849) |
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