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pillpod sandmat, pillpod spurge

Death Valley sandmat

Habit Herbs, annual or perennial, with slender to thickened taproot. Herbs, perennial, with thickened, woody taproot.
Stems

usually erect to ascending, rarely prostrate or decumbent, 10–50(–75) cm, usually both strigillose and hirsute.

prostrate to ascending, often mat-forming, 10–45 cm, pilose to villous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules usually distinct, rarely connate at base, undivided or divided into 2–4 narrowly deltate to linear-subulate segments, 0.5–1.8(–2.9) mm, pilose, often with light-colored, minute circular glands at base;

petiole 1–3 mm, usually both strigillose and hirsute;

blade ovate to rhombic, 7–43 × 3–18 mm, base strongly asymmetric, one side rounded or slightly cordate to truncate, the other cuneate to attenuate, margins serrulate to double serrulate, apex acute, surfaces often with red spot in center, usually strigose to hirtellous, rarely glabrescent; 3–5-veined from base.

opposite;

stipules distinct or connate, subulate to filiform, 0.4–1.1 mm, densely tomentose;

petiole 0.4–1 mm, pilose to villous;

blade suborbiculate to oblong-ovate, 3–8 × 2–6 mm, base slightly asymmetric, rounded, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces pilose to villous; 3-veined at base, midvein conspicuous, venation often obscured by pubescence.

Involucre

obconic, 0.6–1.2 × 0.4–0.9 mm, strigillose;

glands 4, greenish to pink, circular, oblong, or reniform, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm;

appendages white to pink, flabellate, subcircular, or transversely oblong, rarely absent, (0–)0.1–0.6 × (0–)0.1–0.7 mm, distal margin usually entire, rarely slightly lobed.

obconic-campanulate, 1.2–2.3 × 1–1.8 mm, densely pilose to villous;

glands 4, yellow to red, subcircular to oblong, 0.2–0.5 × 0.4–0.9 mm;

appendages white, flabellate to oblong, 0.1–0.7 × 0.5–1.9 mm, distal margin entire or crenulate, adaxial surface ciliate-puberulent.

Staminate flowers

2–8.

15–22(–50).

Pistillate flowers

ovary strigillose, often canescent when young;

styles 0.2–0.6 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary densely pilose;

styles 0.4–0.8 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

Capsules

subglobose to slightly oblate, 1–1.3 × 1.1–1.6 mm, strigillose;

columella 0.7–1 mm.

ovoid, 1.5–2.2 × 1.8–2.2 mm, tomentose;

columella 1.2–1.6 mm.

Seeds

brownish red to orange or pink, narrowly ovoid, 4-angled in cross section, 0.7–0.9 × 0.5–0.7 mm, usually rugulose or with 3–6 low transverse ridges, rarely nearly smooth.

white, gray, or light brown, ovoid, sharply 4-angled in cross section, abaxial faces slightly convex, adaxial faces concave, 1.2–1.7 × 0.6–0.9 mm, smooth.

Cyathia

in dense, axillary and terminal, capitate glomerules, with reduced, bractlike leaves subtending cyathia, axillary glomerules either sessile or at tips of elongated, leafless stalks;

peduncle 0.4–2.1 mm.

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.5–1.8 mm.

Euphorbia hirta

Euphorbia vallis-mortae

Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round. Flowering and fruiting late spring–fall.
Habitat Disturbed areas, roadsides, vacant lots, desert grasslands, mesquite woodlands, riparian forests with cottonwoods and willows, flood plain forests, pinelands, deciduous forests. Roadsides, desert scrub, streamsides, sandy washes.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.) 700–2000 m. (2300–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; NM; NY; SC; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Bermuda [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia hirta is a widespread weed that is distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is probably native to at least central Mexico, and its native range possibly extends from South America to the southern United States. In many places within the flora area the species is certainly introduced, and it has been recorded as a waif from several states (for example, Maryland, Michigan, and Virginia). Euphorbia pilulifera Linnaeus, a rejected name that is a heterotypic synonym of the Asian E. parviflora Linnaeus, has been misapplied to North American material of E. hirta in the past.

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

The specific epithet of Euphorbia vallis-mortae is a misnomer because the species does not occur in Death Valley; instead, it is found at the transition of the northern edge of the Mojave Desert and the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada in Inyo, Kern, and San Bernardino counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 271. FNA vol. 12, p. 291.
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. glyptosperma, E. golondrina, E. gracillima, E. graminea, E. helioscopia, E. helleri, E. heterophylla, E. hexagona, 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. 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. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana
Synonyms Chamaesyce gemella, C. hirta, E. gemella Chamaesyce vallis-mortae
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 454. (1753) (Millspaugh) J. T. Howell: Madroño 2: 19. (1931)
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