Euphorbia hexagona |
Euphorbia polyphylla |
|
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six-angle spurge |
lesser Florida spurge |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | Herbs, perennial, with spreading rootstock. |
Stems | erect, unbranched or branched, 30–70(–100) cm, sparsely hispid, occasionally densely so at distal nodes. |
erect or ascending, branched, solitary, few, or occasionally densely clumped, previous year's dead stems not persistent, 18–33 cm, glabrous. |
Leaves | opposite; stipules (0–)0.1 mm; petiole 1–4 mm, pilose; blade linear-filiform, linear, or elliptic, 21–40 × 0.9–7.5 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface sparsely hispidulous to strigillose, adaxial surface glabrous; venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous. |
alternate; stipules to 0.1 mm; petiole minute or absent; blade linear to filiform, 10–20 × 0.8–1.5(–4) mm, base cuneate, margins entire, often involute, apex rounded, surfaces glabrous; venation usually obscure, midvein visible at base of wider leaves. |
Involucre | campanulate, 1–1.5 × (1–)1.5–1.8 mm, hispid; glands 5, green to deep red, elliptic to reniform, 0.5 × 0.8–1 mm; appendages white to green, tinged red, deltate to ovate, 0.7–1.7 × (0.9–)1.3–1.5 mm, entire. |
campanulate, 1.2–2 × 1.3–1.8 mm, glabrous or strigose on distal extreme; glands 5, red, elliptic, 0.5 × 1 mm; appendages white, orbiculate, 0.5–0.8 × 1.3–1.5 mm, erose. |
Staminate flowers | 15–30(–40). |
20–25. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.7–1.1 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.6–1 mm, 2-fid at apex. |
Capsules | subglobose to broadly ovoid, 4.7–6.5 × 4.9–6.5(–7.1) mm, glabrous; columella 3.5–4.5 mm. |
globose, 2.3–2.8 × 4.3–5.1 mm, glabrous; columella 2.5–3.2 mm. |
Seeds | dark brown or dark gray, ovoid, 3.4 × 2.7 mm, rugose, whitish glaucous; caruncle absent. |
ashy gray, ovoid, 2.9 × 2 mm, with obscure shallow depressions; caruncle absent. |
Cyathia | solitary in leaf axils or in terminal cymes or dichasia; peduncle 1–2.1 mm, strigillose. |
in terminal dichasia or pleiochasia; peduncle 2–6 mm (to 20 mm for central cyathium), glabrous. |
Euphorbia hexagona |
Euphorbia polyphylla |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall. | Flowering and fruiting late spring–late fall. |
Habitat | Sand prairies, other sandy soil habitats, stream banks, sand bars, damp places. | Open sand and pine savannas. |
Elevation | 200–1300 m. (700–4300 ft.) | 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) |
Distribution |
AR; CO; IA; IL; KS; MN; MO; MT; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WI; WY
|
FL
|
Discussion | Euphorbia hexagona is native to the central United States and is most common from southern South Dakota to Oklahoma and northern Texas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Euphorbia polyphylla is endemic to sandy habitats in the southern half of peninsular Florida. The species has been reported from coastal Louisiana, but whether those plants represent native occurrences or plantings is unclear (R. D. Thomas and C. M. Allen 1993–1998, vol. 2). The Florida populations are here recognized as the only native occurrences. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 247. | FNA vol. 12, p. 250. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Tithymalopsis polyphylla | |
Name authority | Nuttall ex Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 791. (1826) | Engelmann ex Chapman: Fl. South. U.S. ed. 2, repr. 2, 694. (1892) |
Web links |