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capitate sandmat, head sandmat, head spurge

weak spurge

Habit Herbs, annual or perennial, with slender to thick and woody rootstock. Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

usually ascending (but ranging from decumbent to erect), 15–50 cm, glabrous, strigillose, or pilose.

erect, unbranched, 7–20 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules distinct, filiform or divided into 2–3 subulate-filiform segments, without dark, circular glands at base, 0.6–1.5 mm, pilose;

petioles 0.6–1.3 mm, glabrous, pilose, or strigillose;

blade ovate to narrowly ovate, 4–19 × 2–8 mm, base asymmetric, one side strongly cordate, other side rounded to slightly cordate, margins entire or serrulate (commonly nearly entire with few scattered teeth, often slightly thickened), apex acute, surfaces often with red spot in center, glabrous, pilose, or strigillose; weakly 3-veined from base, usually only midvein conspicuous.

petiole 1–2 mm, reduced distally;

blade spatulate-cuneate, 8–10 × 4–5 mm (greatly reduced in size proximally), base cuneate, margins entire, apex rounded to emarginate or obcordate, surfaces glabrous;

venation pinnate.

Involucre

narrowly obconic to narrowly campanulate, 0.8–1.6 × 0.7–1.3 mm, glabrous or pilose;

glands 4, yellow-green to pink or maroon, circular to oblong, 0.2–0.4 × 0.2–0.5 mm;

appendages white to light pink, oblong to reniform or flabellate, 0.2–1.1 × 0.5–1.7 mm, surfaces glabrous, distal margin entire.

campanulate, 0.8–1.1 × 0.7–1 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, elliptic to trapezoidal, 0.3–0.6 × 0.6–1.2 mm;

horns divergent, 0.5–1 mm.

Staminate flowers

25–40.

10–15.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous or pilose;

styles 0.4–0.6 mm, 2-fid entire length.

ovary smooth, glabrous;

styles 0.6–1 mm, 2-fid.

Capsules

ovoid to oblate, 1.3–1.9 × 1.4–2.1 mm, glabrous or pilose;

columella 1.1–1.7 mm.

depressed-globose, 1.8–2.2 × 2.2–2.9 mm, slightly lobed;

cocci rounded to slightly flattened, smooth, glabrous;

columella 1.5–1.8 mm.

Seeds

pink to pinkish gray, narrowly ovoid to narrowly ovoid-oblong, 4-angled or weakly 3-angled in cross section, 0.9–1.5 × 0.5–0.7 mm, irregularly dimpled, sometimes also with faint transverse ridges that do not pass through abaxial keel.

reddish brown to brown, often glaucous, oblong, 1.3–1.4 × 0.8–0.9 mm, abaxial faces with 15–20 shallow pits or almost smooth, adaxial faces with 4–6 large shallow pits or irregular oblong grooves;

caruncle conic, hat-shaped, 0.3–0.4 × 0.4–0.6 mm.

Cyathia

in dense, terminal capitate glomerules, with reduced, bractlike leaves subtending cyathia, at tips of main stems and short, leafy, axillary branches;

peduncle 0.1–1.2 mm.

peduncle 0.2–0.6 mm.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3, each 1–3(–4) times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts obovate, similar in size to distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct or basally subconnate, not imbricate, triangular-ovate, base truncate or cordate, margins entire, apex mucronate;

axillary cymose branches 1–4.

2n

= 14.

Euphorbia capitellata

Euphorbia tetrapora

Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round in response to sufficient moisture. Flowering and fruiting spring.
Habitat Gravelly washes, rocky slopes, basaltic talus, disturbed roadsides, primarily desert scrub, desert grasslands, riparian forests, rarely oak-juniper woodlands. Sandy soils, dry open woods.
Elevation 600–1600 m. (2000–5200 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
LA; OK; TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia capitellata is a characteristic herb in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, ranging east to extreme southwestern Texas. During peak flowering, plants are attractive due to the dense clusters of cyathia with well-developed involucral gland appendages.

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

Euphorbia tetrapora is endemic to a portion of the western Gulf coastal plain. D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston (1970) included Alabama and Georgia in the distribution of this species as well, probably due to Engelmann’s citation of a Georgia specimen from the herbarium of Samuel Boykin. Whether the Boykin specimen came from Georgia, where Boykin was based, is unclear. Because no records to support its occurrence in the eastern Gulf coastal plain (Alabama or Georgia) have been found, those states are here excluded from the distribution of E. tetrapora.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 262. FNA vol. 12, p. 311.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula
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. bicolor, E. bifurcata, E. bilobata, E. blodgettii, E. bombensis, E. brachycera, 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. 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. 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 capitellata, C. pycnanthema, E. pycnanthema Tithymalus tetraporus
Name authority Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 188. (1859) Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 191. (1859)
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