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hyssopleaf sandmat

broadleaf spurge, hoary sandmat

Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, perennial, with moderately thickened to robust rootstock.
Stems

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

ascending to erect, or prostrate, 10–25 cm, strigose to short-sericeous or ± villous.

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, filiform, 0.8–1.3 mm, strigose to short-sericeous or ± villous;

petiole 0.5–2 mm, densely strigose to short-sericeous or ± villous;

blade narrowly to broadly ovate-deltate, older ones often falcate, 4–12 × 3–7 mm, base asymmetric, obliquely rounded to obtuse, noticeably wider on one side, margins entire, often ± revolute, apex broadly acute, surfaces strigose to short-sericeous or ± villous; obscurely 3–5-veined from base, midvein prominent abaxially.

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.

broadly campanulate, 2–2.5 × 2.2–2.6, strigose;

glands 4, greenish, oblong to semilunate, 0.2–0.7 × 0.6–1 mm;

appendages rudimentary or white, forming narrow band, (0–)0.1–0.2 × (0–)0.6–1 mm, distal margin entire or crenate.

Staminate flowers

4–15.

25–35.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.5–0.9 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary densely strigose to short-sericeous or ± villous;

styles dark purplish, 0.8–1.2 mm, 2-fid 1/2 to nearly entire length.

Capsules

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

columella 1.5–2 mm.

ovoid, 1.9–2.3 × 2–2.4 mm, strigose to short-sericeous or ± villous;

columella 1.7–2.2 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.

whitish, oblong, 4-angled in cross section, faces concave, 1.5–1.8(–2) × 0.6–0.9 mm, smooth.

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 at distal nodes;

peduncle 1–3 mm.

2n

= 12, 14.

= 28, 56.

Euphorbia hyssopifolia

Euphorbia lata

Phenology Flowering and fruiting late spring–early fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Disturbed areas, ditches, gardens. Mountain slopes, canyons, basins, rocky prairies, roadsides, disturbed sites, usually in calcareous soils, sometimes in igneous-derived, sandy or rocky soils.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.) 600–2200 m. (2000–7200 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
CO; KS; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 272. FNA vol. 12, p. 275.
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. 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. 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 E. dilatata, Chamaesyce lata, E. rinconis
Name authority Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1048. (1759) Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 188. (1859)
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