The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

hyssopleaf sandmat

Dixie sandmat, southern seaside spurge

Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, usually annual, rarely perennial, with taproot.
Stems

erect to ascending, 80 cm, sparsely to densely pilose or pilose-crinkled proximally, usually glabrous distally.

prostrate or slightly ascending, 10–40 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules usually connate, irregularly lacerate, 0.5–1 mm, usually glabrous, occasionally with few marginal hairs;

petiole 1–2 mm, glabrous;

blade lanceolate to oblong or falcate, 8–35 × 7–15 mm, base asymmetric, rounded, margins serrulate, apex broadly acute, abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely pilose toward base, adaxial surface glabrous; palmately veined at base, pinnate distally.

opposite;

stipules distinct, linear-subulate, usually divided into 3 linear segments, 1–2 mm, glabrous;

petiole 1–2 mm, glabrous;

blade oblong or elliptic-oblong, 4–15 × 2–3 mm, base asymmetric to nearly symmetric, obtuse, margins entire, apex acute to mucronate, surfaces green to reddish flushed, glabrous;

only midvein conspicuous.

Involucre

obconic, 0.9–1.1 × 0.7–0.9 mm, glabrous;

glands 4(–5) (5th gland without appendage), yellow-green to maroon, elliptic to circular, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.3 mm;

appendages spreading, usually white or turning reddish with age, short reniform or semilunate, 0.1–0.3 × 0.2–0.6 mm, distal margin entire or slightly undulate to crenate.

obconic-campanulate, 1.2–1.6 × 1.5–1.7 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, green to red, slightly concave, elliptic, oblong, or subcircular, 0.3–0.5 × 0.4–0.6 mm;

appendages white or pink, semilunate, fringing edge of gland, sometimes rudimentary, (0–)0.1–0.5(–0.7) × 0.5–0.8 mm, distal margin crenate to entire.

Staminate flowers

4–15.

5–16.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.5–0.9 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.2–0.3 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

Capsules

depressed-ovoid, 1.5–1.6 × 1.7–1.8 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.5–2 mm.

broadly ovoid, 2–2.1 × 2.3–2.5 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.5–2 mm.

Seeds

brown to grayish white, ovoid, slightly 4-angled in cross section, abaxial faces convex, adaxial faces slightly concave to slightly convex, 1–1.4 × 0.7–1.1 mm, with 2–3 prominent transverse ridges that do not interrupt adaxial keel, or coarsely and inconspicuously pitted-reticulate.

ashy white, plumply ovoid, terete to bluntly subangled in cross section, 1.5–1.9 × 1–1.2 mm, smooth or minutely pitted, with smooth brown line from top to bottom on adaxial side.

Cyathia

solitary or in small, cymose clusters occasionally with bractlike leaves at distal nodes or on congested, axillary branches;

peduncle 0.5–2.5 mm.

solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.5–3 mm.

2n

= 12, 14.

Euphorbia hyssopifolia

Euphorbia bombensis

Phenology Flowering and fruiting late spring–early fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Disturbed areas, ditches, gardens. Coastal dunes and sandy habitats.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.) 0–30 m. (0–100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; FL; GA; LA; MS; NM; SC; TX; UT; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in tropical Asia, Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; n South America (Venezuela)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia hyssopifolia is native to the New World tropics and is probably also native to parts of the southern United States. However, at least some of the records from the flora area appear to be from adventive plants.

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

Euphorbia bombensis is similar and closely related to E. cumulicola, E. geyeri, and E. polygonifolia. It differs notably from E. polygonifolia in its smaller, plumply ovoid seeds. L. C. Wheeler (1941) suggested that where E. bombensis and E. polygonifolia are sympatric, E. bombensis grows farther away from the shore. Euphorbia bombensis is usually distinguished from E. cumulicola by the latter's smaller, isomorphic leaves that lack any fleshiness, smaller seeds, and diffuse growth habit. Euphorbia bombensis differs from E. geyeri in its usually shorter, less conspicuous involucral gland appendages and its geographic restriction to the coastal plain. However, Wheeler pointed out that plants of E. bombensis from Texas have more or less conspicuous involucral gland appendages. Examination of specimens confirmed that E. bombensis occasionally has conspicuous involucral gland appendages, and because of this, E. bombensis and E. geyeri are difficult to distinguish in Texas. This clade of closely related, sand and dune specialists requires further study.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 272. FNA vol. 12, p. 261.
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. hypericifolia, 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. 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. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana
Synonyms Chamaesyce hyssopifolia, E. jonesii, E. stenomeres Chamaesyce ammannioides, C. bombensis, C. ingallsii, E. ammannioides
Name authority Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1048. (1759) Jacquin: Enum. Syst. Pl., 22. (1760)
Web links