Euphorbia floridana |
Euphorbia trichotoma |
|
---|---|---|
greater Florida spurge |
sand-dune spurge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, with slender to moderately thickened rootstock. | Herbs, perennial, with thick rootstock. |
Stems | erect, 20–65 cm. |
erect, branched, 15–40 cm, glabrous. |
Leaves | petiole absent; blade linear to linear-elliptic or linear-lanceolate, 30–105 × 2–4(–7) mm, chartaceous, base attenuate, rounded, or nearly truncate, apex acute; only midvein evident. |
petiole absent; blade obovate to oblanceolate, 5–20 × 2–7 mm, base broadly attenuate, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous; venation pinnate, very obscure, midvein prominent. |
Involucre | campanulate or obconic, 1.6–3.3 × 1.8–3.1 mm, lobes ovate, 0.5–0.7 mm, ciliate, exceeded by glands; glands yellow-green, oblong to trapezoidal, 0.5–0.8 × 0.8–1.2 mm, distal margins deeply erose. |
hemispheric, 1–1.5 × 1.4–2 mm, glabrous; glands 5, elliptic to slightly crescent-shaped, 0.4–0.6 × 0.9–1.1 mm; horns divergent, 0.1–0.2 mm. |
Staminate flowers | 20. |
8–10. |
Pistillate flowers | gynophore exserted 2.9–5.3 mm, calyxlike lobes triangular, 0.3–0.7 mm; styles connate 1/3–1/4 length, 1.1–1.7 mm. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.2–0.4 mm, 2-fid. |
Capsules | oblate-ovoid, 4.6–5.5 × 8.9–9 mm, strongly 3-lobed; columella 3.4–4.2 mm. |
depressed-ovoid, 1.1–1.5 × 2–3 mm, strongly 3-lobed; cocci rounded, minutely papillate, sometimes appearing smooth, glabrous; columella 1.6–1.9 mm. |
Seeds | brown to blackish, depressed-globose, circular in cross section, 2.8–3 × 3.2–3.6 mm, smooth, base flattened, with punctiform depressions, apex flattened. |
white, ovoid-globose, 1.8–2 × 1.6–1.8 mm, smooth; caruncle ± rounded and flattened, 0.3 × 0.3 mm. |
Cyathial | arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3–5, 3–16 cm, 3–5(–7) times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts linear-lanceolate or narrowly ovate, 19–55 × 4–12 mm, margins entire, apex acute or acuminate; dichasial bracts usually ovate, lanceolate, or oblong, rarely deltate, 8–21 × 4–14 mm, margins entire, apex acute, acuminate, or rounded with mucronate tip; axillary cymose branches 1–3(–6). |
arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3, each usually 1–2 times 3-branched, sometimes unbranched; pleiochasial bracts similar in shape and size to distal leaves, alternate; dichasial bracts distinct, obovate to oblanceolate, base broadly attenuate, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse; axillary cymose branches 0. |
Cyathia | peduncle (except for that of 1st cyathium at base of pleiochasia) 2–5 mm (not exceeding dichasial bracts). |
peduncle 0.7–1 mm. |
Euphorbia floridana |
Euphorbia trichotoma |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. | Flowering and fruiting year-round (primarily spring–summer). |
Habitat | Xeric pine-oak sandhills, pine scrub, sandy soils. | Coastal beaches, sand dunes, thickets. |
Elevation | 20–80 m. (100–300 ft.) | 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA
|
FL; Mexico; Central America; West Indies |
Discussion | Euphorbia trichotoma is found in coastal peninsular Florida from Hillsborough County south to Key West. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 314. | FNA vol. 12, p. 311. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Nummulariopsis | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Galarhoeus floridanus | Galarhoeus trichotomus, Tithymalus trichotomus |
Name authority | Chapman: Fl. South. U.S., 401. (1860) | Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 2(fol.): 48; 2(qto.): 60. (1817) |
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