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grassleaf spurge

Huachuca Mountain spurge

Habit Herbs, usually annual, rarely perennial, with slender, rarely tuberous, taproot. Herbs, perennial, with thick, globose to elongated tubers, 2–8 cm.
Stems

erect or ascending, branched, 30–80(–110) cm, strigillose or glabrescent, sharply angled.

erect to ascending, branched, 10–45(–60) cm, glabrous, puberulent, or densely hirsute to setose, often with 2-layered indumentum of long hairs intermixed with short hairs.

Leaves

usually alternate, sometimes some opposite;

stipules usually 0.2–0.5 mm, rarely rudimentary;

petiole 0.4–5.9 mm, strigillose;

blade ovate, elliptic, linear-elliptic, or oblong, 10–83 × 3–39 mm, base attenuate, rounded, or cuneate, margins entire, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces strigillose;

venation occasionally obscure on narrow leaves, midvein conspicuous.

usually opposite, occasionally whorled distally, or rarely with 1–2 alternate leaves;

stipules 0.1–0.2 mm;

petiole 0–18 mm, hirsute, sericeous, or strigose;

blade linear to ovate or almost orbiculate, 6–54 × 2–19 mm, base rounded to attenuate, margins entire, occasionally ciliate with stiff recurved hairs, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces usually hirsute, sericeous, or strigose, occasionally glabrous adaxially;

venation conspicuous.

Involucre

campanulate or obconic, 1–1.8 × 0.8–1.7 mm, glabrous or strigillose toward rim;

glands (1–)2–4, yellow to greenish, elliptic or oblong, 0.1–0.3 × 0.2–0.4 mm;

appendages white to tinged purple, ovate and often hoodlike or forming narrow rim around distal margin of gland, 0.3–1.6 × 0.4–0.9 mm, entire.

obconic to campanulate, 1.1–1.4 × 0.5–1.5 mm, glabrous or strigillose;

glands 4–5, greenish, oblong, 0.2 × 0.4–0.5 mm;

appendages usually yellowish or green, rarely dark purple, ovate, flabellate, semiorbiculate, or oblong, 0.3–0.9 × 0.4–1.1 mm, usually entire.

Staminate flowers

30–40.

10–15.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.7–1 mm, 2-fid from 1/2 to nearly entire length.

ovary glabrous, sericeous, or strigillose;

styles 0.4–0.6 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

Capsules

ovoid-oblate, 2.5–3 × 3–3.5 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.6–1.9 mm.

oblate, 2.3–3 × 3.1–4.2 mm, glabrous, sericeous, or strigillose;

columella 1.6–2.1 mm.

Seeds

gray, brown, or nearly black, ovoid, circular or weakly angled in cross section, 1.5–1.7 × 1.3–1.5 mm, coarsely tuberculate with longitudinal rows of shallow pits;

caruncle absent or punctiform, 0.1–0.2 mm.

black to light brown, broadly ovoid to subglobose, rounded in cross section, 1.5–2.3 × 1.4–1.8 mm, smooth or with low rounded tubercles;

caruncle absent.

Cyathia

in usually terminal, rarely axillary, dichasia, distal dichasial bracts often white;

peduncle 0.4–4.5 mm (to 15 mm at first node of inflorescence), glabrous.

in weakly-defined terminal dichasia;

peduncle 1.4–5.8 mm, glabrous.

Euphorbia graminea

Euphorbia macropus

Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round. Flowering and fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Disturbed, weedy, or urban areas. Stream banks and rocky slopes in pine-oak woodlands, sometimes with juniper, Douglas fir-pine forests.
Elevation 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) 1500–2200m. (4900–7200ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; CA; FL; LA; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, Asia, Pacific Islands]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico; Central America (Guatemala, Honduras)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia graminea occurs natively from northern South America to northern Mexico. The species is a variable and taxonomically complex entity whose boundaries are not well defined and are in need of further study. Euphorbia graminea is often weedy and has recently become established in warmer areas of the southern United States, where it will likely become more common in the future. In recent years, a cultivar of E. graminea has found considerable horticultural success and is marketed under the trade name "Diamond Frost."

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

Euphorbia macropus is a widespread and common Mexican species just barely entering the flora area in southeastern Arizona, where most of the collections are from the Huachuca Mountains.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 246. FNA vol. 12, p. 248.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum
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. glyptosperma, E. golondrina, E. gracillima, 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. 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 Anisophyllum macropus, E. biformis, E. plummerae
Name authority Jacquin: Select. Stirp. Amer. Hist., 151. (1763) (Klotzsch & Garcke) Boissier: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 52. (1862)
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