Flora of North America species comparison

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Euphorbia glyptosperma

Euphorbia bombensis

corrugate-seed spurge, rib-seed sandmat, ridge-seed spurge

Dixie sandmat, southern seaside spurge
Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, usually annual, rarely perennial, with taproot.
Stems

prostrate, loosely mat-forming, 5–40 cm, glabrous, sometimes slightly glaucous.

prostrate or slightly ascending, 10–40 cm, glabrous.
Leaves

opposite;

stipules usually distinct, linear-subulate, usually irregularly fringed or lobed, rarely laciniate, 0.4–2 mm, glabrous;

petiole 0.2–2 mm, glabrous;

blade narrowly oblong to oblong-obovate or oblong-ovate, 3–15 × 2–7 mm, base asymmetric, one side angled and other rounded to shallowly cordate, margins minutely sparsely serrulate, especially near apex and on longer side, apex rounded to obtuse, abaxial surface usually pale grayish green, adaxial surface sometimes reddish tinged or with reddish blotch, both surfaces glabrous; palmately veined at base, pinnate distally.

opposite;

stipules distinct, linear-subulate, usually divided into 3 linear segments, 1–2 mm, glabrous;

petiole 1–2 mm, glabrous;

blade oblong or elliptic-oblong, 4–15 × 2–3 mm, base asymmetric to nearly symmetric, obtuse, margins entire, apex acute to mucronate, surfaces green to reddish flushed, glabrous;

only midvein conspicuous.
Involucre

obconic, 0.6–0.9 × 0.3–0.6 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, red to purple, narrowly oblong-elliptic, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.5 mm;

appendages white or pinkish tinged, semilunate and fringing distal margin of gland, 0.1–0.3 × 0.1–0.3 mm, distal margin usually irregularly crenulate or lobed.

obconic-campanulate, 1.2–1.6 × 1.5–1.7 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, green to red, slightly concave, elliptic, oblong, or subcircular, 0.3–0.5 × 0.4–0.6 mm;

appendages white or pink, semilunate, fringing edge of gland, sometimes rudimentary, (0–)0.1–0.5(–0.7) × 0.5–0.8 mm, distal margin crenate to entire.
Staminate flowers

1–5.

5–16.
Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.1–0.3 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.2–0.3 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.
Capsules

broadly ovoid, 1.3–1.9 × 1.6–2 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.3–1.5 mm.

broadly ovoid, 2–2.1 × 2.3–2.5 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.5–2 mm.
Seeds

with thin white coat that readily falls off, surface below tan brown, oblong-ovoid, sharply angular in cross section, 1–1.4 × 0.6–0.9 mm, with 3–4(–6) prominent transverse ridges that usually interrupt abaxial keel.

ashy white, plumply ovoid, terete to bluntly subangled in cross section, 1.5–1.9 × 1–1.2 mm, smooth or minutely pitted, with smooth brown line from top to bottom on adaxial side.
Cyathia

solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.5–1.6 mm.

solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.5–3 mm.
2n

= 22.

Euphorbia glyptosperma

Euphorbia bombensis
Phenology Flowering and fruiting early summer–fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Stream and river banks, sand prairies, loess hill prairies, meadows, ballast, open disturbed areas, roadsides. Coastal dunes and sandy habitats.
Elevation 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) 0–30 m. (0–100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; LA; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NH; NM; NV; NY; OK; OR; SD; TN; TX; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; n South America (Venezuela)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia glyptosperma is one of the most widespread species of the genus in North America, and it is often quite weedy. It is likely native to much of the central United States, but in areas like eastern Canada, it occurs in highly disturbed habitats, and it may be adventive there. Euphorbia glyptosperma is characterized by its prominently ridged seeds, laciniate stipules, complete lack of pubescence, and somewhat obscure toothing near the tips of the leaves.

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

Euphorbia bombensis is similar and closely related to E. cumulicola, E. geyeri, and E. polygonifolia. It differs notably from E. polygonifolia in its smaller, plumply ovoid seeds. L. C. Wheeler (1941) suggested that where E. bombensis and E. polygonifolia are sympatric, E. bombensis grows farther away from the shore. Euphorbia bombensis is usually distinguished from E. cumulicola by the latter's smaller, isomorphic leaves that lack any fleshiness, smaller seeds, and diffuse growth habit. Euphorbia bombensis differs from E. geyeri in its usually shorter, less conspicuous involucral gland appendages and its geographic restriction to the coastal plain. However, Wheeler pointed out that plants of E. bombensis from Texas have more or less conspicuous involucral gland appendages. Examination of specimens confirmed that E. bombensis occasionally has conspicuous involucral gland appendages, and because of this, E. bombensis and E. geyeri are difficult to distinguish in Texas. This clade of closely related, sand and dune specialists requires further study.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 269. FNA vol. 12, p. 261.
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. florida, E. floridana, E. garberi, E. georgiana, E. geyeri, 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. 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. 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 glyptosperma Chamaesyce ammannioides, C. bombensis, C. ingallsii, E. ammannioides
Name authority Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 187. (1859) Jacquin: Enum. Syst. Pl., 22. (1760)
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Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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