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Chiricahua Mountain sandmat

mimicking sandmat, similar spurge

Habit Herbs, annual, with slender taproot. Herbs, annual or short-lived perennial, with usually slender, occasionally slightly thickened, rootstock.
Stems

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

prostrate to reclining, 5–40 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

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.

opposite;

stipules distinct, subulate, 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous;

petiole 0.7–1.3 mm, glabrous;

blade orbiculate, oval, to shortly oblong, 1–3.2 × 1.5–5 mm, base subsymmetric, rounded, margins entire, apex usually rounded, occasionally emarginate, surfaces glabrous;

venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous.

Involucre

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.

turbinate to campanulate, 0.8–1.2 × 0.7–1 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, red to purple, slightly concave, elliptic, 0.2–0.3 × 0.4–0.5 mm;

appendages absent.

Staminate flowers

25–35.

15–36.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

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

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.2–0.3 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length.

Capsules

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

columella 1.8–2.1 mm.

broadly ovoid, 1.3–1.8 × 1.5–2 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.1–1.4 mm.

Seeds

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.

whitish, reddish brown beneath coat, oblong, 4-angled in cross section, 1.5–2 × 1.3–1.8 mm, with 5–7 faint transverse ridges or wrinkles.

Cyathia

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

peduncle 1.2–8.1 mm.

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.3–0.7 mm.

2n

= 28.

Euphorbia florida

Euphorbia simulans

Phenology Flowering and fruiting summer–late fall. Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat Sandy flats, gravelly washes, rocky hillsides, talus slopes, desert scrub, desert grasslands, mesquite woodlands, rarely oak woodlands. Desert scrub, mountains, hills, canyons, arroyos, flats, roadsides, clay, sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils.
Elevation 600–1300 m. (2000–4300 ft.) 600–1300 m. (2000–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Euphorbia simulans, which in the flora area is known only from Brewster, Hudspeth, and Presidio counties, is difficult to distinguish in the field from the sympatric E. theriaca var. theriaca, because they are mainly distinguished by seed morphology. The latter has smaller seeds with (two or) three (or four) prominent transverse ridges, whereas E. simulans has larger seeds that are slightly wrinkled.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 267. FNA vol. 12, p. 289.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum 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. 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
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. 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 E. polycarpa var. simulans, Chamaesyce simulans
Name authority Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 189. (1859) (L. C. Wheeler) Warnock & M. C. Johnston: SouthW. Naturalist 5: 170. (1960)
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