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spreading sandmat

Roemer's spurge

Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

prostrate to ascending, usually mat-forming and rooting at nodes, 5–45 cm, sparsely to moderately villous to pilose (densely on young growth).

erect, occasionally decumbent at base, branched, 15–30 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules distinct, linear-subulate, often irregularly 2- or 3-lobed, 1–1.3 mm, sparsely villous to pilose;

petiole 0.5–1.5 mm, sparsely to moderately villous to pilose;

blade oblong-ovate to ovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 4–18 × 2.5–8 mm, base strongly asymmetric, one side angled and other rounded to auriculate, margin on longer side serrulate, on shorter side subentire, apex rounded or broadly acute, abaxial surface pale grayish green, sparsely lanulose, adaxial surface usually with irregular reddish streak along midvein, usually glabrate, rarely sparsely lanulose; palmately veined at base, pinnate distally.

petiole 2–5 mm;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 5–20 × 5–10 mm (larger leaves in distal portion of stem), base cuneate to attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded, surfaces glabrous;

venation pinnate.

Involucre

obconic, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.8 mm, sparsely villous to pilose;

glands 4, green to yellow-green (turning pink with age), usually ± unequal, narrowly oblong, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.5 mm;

appendages white to reddish tinged, lunate, ± irregular and variable in shape, 0.1–0.3 × 0.2–1.5 mm, distal margin crenulate.

campanulate, 1.5–2 × 1–1.6 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, elliptic to trapezoidal, 0.4–0.6 × 0.7–1.2 mm;

horns slightly convergent, 0.1–0.3 mm.

Staminate flowers

2–5.

10–12.

Pistillate flowers

ovary short-sericeous;

styles 0.5–0.8 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.6–1 mm, 2-fid.

Capsules

ovoid, well exserted from involucre at maturity, 1.3–1.5 × 1.2–1.6 mm, sparsely to moderately short-sericeous;

columella 0.9–1.2 mm.

subglobose, 2–2.5 × 2.4–3 mm, slightly lobed;

cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous;

columella 1.5–1.8 mm.

Seeds

white to light brown, oblong-ovoid, bluntly angular in cross section, 0.8–1.2 × 0.5–0.9 mm, smooth or papillate.

brown, oblong-ovoid, 1.6–1.8 × 1.4–1.5 mm, with scattered, deep and broad pits;

caruncle conic, reniform, 0.3–0.4 × 0.4–0.6 mm.

Cyathia

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.1–0.6(–2) mm.

peduncle 0–0.9 mm.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3, 1–4 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts ovate to oblong, similar in size to distal leaves;

dichasial bracts connate 1/2 length, reniform to semicircular, base truncate to perfoliate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse;

axillary cymose branches 0–3.

Euphorbia humistrata

Euphorbia roemeriana

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–late summer. Flowering and fruiting spring.
Habitat Stream and river banks, gravel bars, floodplains, pond edges, disturbed fields, railroads, roadsides. Rich calcareous soils, creek canyons.
Elevation 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) 100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MO; MS; OH; OK; TN; TX; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia humistrata is distributed throughout the Mississippi River valley and along other major river systems in the central and eastern United States. There are scattered reports of this species as a waif or as introduced farther north and/or east (for example, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ontario, South Dakota, and Wisconsin), but the authors have not been able to verify these occurrences. Euphorbia humistrata is similar to E. maculata and is often confused with that species in herbaria. It can be distinguished from E. maculata by its tendency to root at the stem nodes, its longer styles, and its seeds that lack low transverse ridges and that are more bluntly angled. When growing side-by-side, E. humistrata has an overall less congested appearance and its cyathia are not as numerous or crowded as those of E. maculata.

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

D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston (1970) suggested that Euphorbia roemeriana, which is restricted to the eastern part of the Edwards Plateau, is the southern counterpart of E. commutata, to which it is morphologically very similar. However, molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that it is most closely related to E. austrotexana and E. longicruris (J. A. Peirson et al. 2014). Euphorbia roemeriana can be distinguished from E. commutata and several of the other small, annual species of subg. Esula by its consistently connate dichasial bracts.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 272. FNA vol. 12, p. 308.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula
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. hirta, E. hooveri, 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. 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 humistrata Tithymalus roemerianus
Name authority Engelmann: in A. Gray, Manual ed. 2, 386. (1856) Scheele: Linnaea 22: 151. (1849)
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