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mountain spurge

revolute spurge, threadstem sandmat, threadstem spurge

Habit Herbs, perennial, with thick rootstock. Herbs, annual, with slender taproot.
Stems

erect, branched, 40–90 cm, glabrous.

erect, 5–25 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

petiole 0.5–1 mm;

blade elliptic to oblong, 8–20(–40) × 3–6 mm, base truncate, rounded, or attenuate, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute, sometimes slightly mucronate, surfaces glabrous;

venation inconspicuous, only midvein prominent.

opposite;

stipules distinct, subulate-filiform, entire, 0.5–0.9 mm, glabrous;

petiole 0.6–1.1 mm, glabrous;

blade linear, 6–27 × 0.6–1.2 mm, base symmetric, attenuate, margins entire, revolute, apex acute, sometimes mucronate, surfaces glabrous;

only midvein conspicuous.

Involucre

turbinate or campanulate, 1.5–2.5 × 1.1–1.9 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, crescent-shaped to semicircular, 0.5–0.8 × 1–1.8 mm;

horns usually convergent, 0.2–0.8 mm.

obconic to campanulate, 0.7–0.9 × 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, pink to dark purple, nearly circular to oblong or reniform, 0.1 × 0.1–0.2 mm;

appendages white, oblong, nearly circular, ovate, deltate, or forming thin margin around gland, rarely absent, (0–)0.1–0.2 × (0–)0.1–0.3 mm, distal margin entire.

Staminate flowers

8–12.

5–10.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 1–1.8 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.2–0.3 mm, unbranched.

Capsules

depressed-ovoid, 4.3–5 × 5–6 mm, 3-lobed;

cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous;

columella 3.5–4 mm.

ovoid to subglobose, 1.5–1.8 × 1.6–1.8 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.1–1.5 mm.

Seeds

gray to dark brown, ovoid-oblong, truncate at both ends, 2.6–3.4 × 2–2.6 mm, shallowly pitted to almost smooth;

caruncle conic, 1 × 0.8 mm.

whitish, brick red, light gray, or light brown, narrowly to broadly ovoid, 4-angled in cross section, 0.9–1.4 × 0.7–1 mm, nearly smooth, rugulose, with faint transverse ridges, or with 2–3 well-defined transverse ridges separated by shallow depressions.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3–5(–6), each 3–4 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts ovate-lanceolate to slightly subpandurate, similar in size or wider than distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, lanceolate to broadly ovate, base usually truncate to rounded or subcordate, sometimes attenuate, margins entire or slightly crenulate, apex usually obtuse to acute, occasionally acuminate;

axillary cymose branches 2–8.

Cyathia

peduncle 1–3 mm.

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncles absent or to 1.5 mm.

2n

= 26.

Euphorbia chamaesula

Euphorbia revoluta

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. Flowering and fruiting summer–late fall.
Habitat Clearings in ponderosa pine forests, montane roadsides, dry streambeds, creek banks, sandy and gravelly soils. Desert scrub, sagebrush scrub, juniper woodlands, Joshua tree-pinyon pine woodlands, oak woodlands, grasslands, chaparral, pine-oak forests.
Elevation 1700–2700 m. (5600–8900 ft.) 600–2500 m. (2000–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora, Zacatecas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia chamaesula is easily distinguished from other perennial members of subg. Esula in western North America by its larger capsules and the vegetative shoots (without cyathia) that arise from the distal nodes of the stem proximal to the pleiochasia.

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

Euphorbia revoluta is a distinctive, easily recognizable species by virtue of the combination of unbranched styles and linear leaves with symmetric bases. The species ranges through northern Mexico into the southwestern United States and is composed of three well-marked, geographically distinct races that can be distinguished by their seeds. The first of these races occurs primarily in pine-oak forest of the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico (Chihuahua and Sonora) and barely enters the flora area in the Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona; the seeds are brick red and nearly smooth. The second race is widespread in the Chihuahuan Desert from northern Mexico to southeastern New Mexico and southwestern Texas; its seeds are whitish to light gray and possess two or three well-defined transverse ridges separated by shallow depressions. The third race corresponds to the type collection and is characterized by grayish white to light brown seeds that are rugulose or with faint transverse ridges; it occurs in northwestern Mexico (Baja California and Sonora) and throughout the arid southwestern United States. It is probable that further study will justify the taxonomic segregation of these races as either distinct species or subspecies.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 300. FNA vol. 12, p. 286.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula 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. bicolor, E. bifurcata, E. bilobata, E. blodgettii, E. bombensis, E. brachycera, E. capitellata, E. carunculata, E. chaetocalyx, 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. 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 chamaesula Chamaesyce revoluta
Name authority Boissier: Cent. Euphorb., 38. (1860) Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 186. (1859)
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