Euphorbia humistrata |
Euphorbia trachysperma |
|
---|---|---|
spreading sandmat |
San Pedro River sandmat |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | Herbs, annual, with slender 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 to ascending, 10–55 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. |
opposite; stipules distinct, narrowly triangular and often divided into 3–5 subulate to filiform segments, 0.8–1.9 mm, glabrous; petiole 1.2–3.1 mm, glabrous; blade oblong, elliptic, or ovate, 12–43 × 3–14 mm, base subsymmetric to asymmetric, rounded, attenuate, or with one side hemicordate and other side rounded, margins usually serrulate, rarely entire on some leaves or portion of blade, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces often with red blotch in center, glabrous; pinnately veined, often only midvein conspicuous. |
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. |
oblong, campanulate, or funnel-shaped, 1.5–2.6 × 1.1–2.3 mm, glabrous; glands 4, green to yellowish or tinged with red, subcircular to oblong, 0.4–0.7 × 0.5–1 mm; appendages absent or white, often forming narrow rim or oblong to ovate, 0–0.8 × 1.2 mm, distal margin entire. |
Staminate flowers | 2–5. |
50–60. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary short-sericeous; styles 0.5–0.8 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.5–0.6 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length. |
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. |
oblate, 2.4–3.2 × 3–3.5 mm, glabrous; columella 2.3–2.5 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. |
light brown, ovoid, 4-angled in cross section, abaxial keel well developed, 1.9–2.3 × 1.3–1.4 mm, finely dimpled and papillate. |
Cyathia | solitary at distal nodes; peduncle 0.1–0.6(–2) mm. |
solitary at distal nodes; peduncle 1.4–2.4 mm. |
Euphorbia humistrata |
Euphorbia trachysperma |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–late summer. | Flowering and fruiting late summer–early winter. |
Habitat | Stream and river banks, gravel bars, floodplains, pond edges, disturbed fields, railroads, roadsides. | Desert scrub, desert grasslands, mesquite woodlands. |
Elevation | 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) | 200–1200 m. (700–3900 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MO; MS; OH; OK; TN; TX; VA; WV
|
AZ; Mexico (Baja California Sur, Sonora) |
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.) |
Euphorbia trachysperma may be expected in extreme southwestern New Mexico given the close proximity of some collections in southeastern Arizona. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 272. | FNA vol. 12, p. 291. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Chamaesyce humistrata | Chamaesyce trachysperma |
Name authority | Engelmann: in A. Gray, Manual ed. 2, 386. (1856) | Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 189. (1859) |
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