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graceful sandmat, graceful spurge

thyme leaf spurge, thyme-leafed spurge, thymeleaf sandmat

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

erect to ascending, 15–50 cm, glabrous.

prostrate to ascending, often mat-forming, 7–35 cm, glabrous, pilose, or villous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules connate, deltate, usually entire, sometimes laciniate-fringed at tip, 1.5–2.2 mm, glabrous;

petiole 1–3 mm, glabrous;

blade obliquely oblong-oblanceolate, 10–35 × 7–15 mm, base asymmetric, oblique, margins serrate or serrulate, especially toward apex, apex broadly acute, surfaces glabrous; palmately veined at base, pinnate distally.

opposite;

stipules distinct, divided nearly to base into 3–5 subulate to filiform segments, these sometimes 2-fid toward apex or laciniate, 0.7–2.1 mm, glabrous;

petiole 0.5–1 mm, glabrous, villous, or pilose;

blade ovate, oblong, elliptic, or obovate, 3–13 × 2–7 mm, base asymmetric, rounded to oblique, margins usually entire in proximal 1/2 and serrulate in distal 1/2, rarely serrulate nearly to base, apex obtuse or truncate, surfaces often with red spot in center, not papillate, glabrous, villous, or pilose; weakly 3-veined from base, usually only midvein conspicuous.

Involucre

obconic, 0.9–1.1 × 0.4–0.9 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, yellow-green to brown, stipitate, subcircular, 0.2 × 0.2 mm, occasionally nearly rudimentary;

appendages absent on smaller glands or white to pink, shape highly variable, usually round to ± elliptic, 0.3–0.4 × 0.5–0.7 mm, distal margin entire.

obconic, 0.6–1.1 × 0.6–1 mm, glabrous, villous, or pilose;

glands 4, yellow to pink, usually oblong to reniform, 0.1 × 0.2–0.3 mm;

appendages white to pink, oblong or flabellate, rarely absent, (0–)0.1–0.2 × (0–)0.3–0.4 mm, distal margin entire or shallowly lobed.

Staminate flowers

(0–)2–20.

5–20.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.4 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary glabrous, villous, or pilose;

styles 0.3–0.4 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

Capsules

depressed-globoid, 1.3–1.4 × 1.1–1.5 mm, glabrous;

columella 1–1.1 mm.

broadly ovoid to oblate, cocci not elongated nor terminating in empty portion, 1.4–1.9 × 1.5–2, glabrous, pilose, or villous;

columella 1.2–1.6 mm.

Seeds

with very thin whitish mucilaginous coat over light brown testa below, ovoid-triangular, bluntly 4-angled in cross section, 0.9–1.1 × 0.5 mm, with shallow irregular depressions alternating with low, smooth ridges.

pink, light brown, or grayish, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 4-angled in cross section, 1–1.4 × 0.6–0.9 mm, smooth to dimpled or rugose, or with faint transverse ridges that do not interrupt abaxial keel.

Cyathia

in dense, axillary and terminal, capitate glomerules with reduced, bractlike leaves subtending cyathia;

peduncle 0.5–1.8 mm.

solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes or on congested, axillary branches;

peduncle 0.4–1.7 mm.

Euphorbia hypericifolia

Euphorbia serpillifolia

Phenology Flowering and fruiting early spring–late fall.
Habitat Open, disturbed areas, nurseries.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; OK; SC; TX; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in Asia, Pacific Islands]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NH; NM; NV; NY; OK; OR; PA; SD; TX; UT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; ON; QC; SK; Mexico; South America
Discussion

Euphorbia hypericifolia is native to the New World tropics, and it is most likely adventive in the flora area (where it is most widely distributed in Florida and Texas). Reports from Arizona, California, and Maryland likely represent waifs or misidentifications.

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

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Euphorbia serpillifolia is variable, especially in regard to seed sculpturing. L. C. Wheeler (1941) documented and discussed this variation, suggesting that within the United States and Canada the taxon could be further divided into various taxa. However, Wheeler refrained from actually proposing names and commented that further study was needed. The authors concur with Wheeler and maintain a broad delimitation of the species, pending a detailed study of variation throughout its range. Otherwise indistinguishable hairy plants are treated as subsp. hirtula. In contrast to the widespread typical subspecies, subsp. hirtula ranges from northern Baja California, Mexico, to central California. In this region the two subspecies sometimes grow together.

The spelling of the specific epithet follows the original publication of the name and contrasts with the often-used variant serpyllifolia.

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

Key
1. Stems and leaves glabrous.
subsp. serpillifolia
1. Stems and leaves pilose or villous.
subsp. hirtula
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 272. FNA vol. 12, p. 287.
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. hirta, E. hooveri, E. humistrata, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. serpillifolia subsp. hirtula, E. serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia
Synonyms Chamaesyce glomerifera, C. hypericifolia, E. glomerifera Chamaesyce serpillifolia
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 454. (1753) Persoon: Syn. Pl. 2: 14. (1806)
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