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American ipecac, Carolina ipecac, ipecac spurge

euphorbe maculée, milk purslane, milk spurge, prostrate spurge, sandmat, spotted sandmat, spotted sandmat or spurge, spotted spurge

Habit Herbs, perennial, with deep, stout rootstock. Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

decumbent or slightly ascending, branched, often densely clumped, previous year's dead stems not persistent, 17–27 cm, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely villous.

usually prostrate, occasionally with ascending tips, often mat-forming, not rooting at nodes, 5–45 cm, densely and evenly short-sericeous to sericeous or villous.

Leaves

alternate;

stipules 0.1–0.2 mm;

petiole (0–)1–2 mm, glabrous;

blade usually linear, obovate, or oblanceolate to orbiculate, rarely filiform, proximal greatly reduced, scalelike, 15–70 × 1.5–13 mm gradually smaller proximally, base cuneate, margins entire, apex rounded, broadly acute, or emarginate, surfaces glabrous;

venation occasionally obscure on smaller leaves, midvein conspicuous.

opposite;

stipules distinct, linear-subulate, sometimes irregularly 2–3-lobed, 1–1.3 mm, sparsely short-sericeous to sericeous or villous;

petiole 0.5–1.5 mm, moderately short-sericeous to sericeous or villous;

blade oblong-ovate to ovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 4–18 × 2.5–8 mm, base strongly asymmetric, one side usually angled and other ± truncate and expanded into small, rounded auricle, margins serrulate (longer side) or subentire (shorter side), apex rounded or broadly acute, abaxial surface pale grayish green, moderately to densely lanulose to villous, adaxial surface usually with irregular reddish streak along midvein, glabrate or with sparse, long, slender hairs; palmately veined at base, pinnate distally.

Involucre

yellow or yellow-green, hemispheric, 1–1.2 × 2–2.4 mm, glabrous;

glands 5, yellow or yellow-green, obovate or elliptic, 0.7–0.8 × 1–1.2 mm;

appendages white or green, often forming narrow rim around distal margin of gland, 0–0.2 mm, entire.

obconic, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.8 mm, sparsely strigose to short-sericeous;

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

appendages white to reddish tinged, lunate to oblong, 0.1–0.3 × 0.2–1.5 mm, distal margin crenulate.

Staminate flowers

10–20.

2–5.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.4–0.8 mm, 2-fid at apex.

ovary sericeous;

styles 0.3–0.4 mm, 2-fid at apex.

Capsules

globose, 2.3–3.4 × 3.5–4.2 mm, glabrous;

columella 3–3.1 mm.

ovoid, well exserted from involucre at maturity, 1.3–1.5 × 1.2–1.4 mm, sparsely to moderately and evenly sericeous;

columella 1–1.2 mm.

Seeds

white or brown, ovoid, 2.3–2.5 × 1.5 mm, angular, with 5 longitudinal ridges, shallowly and irregularly pitted;

caruncle absent.

white to light brown, oblong-ovoid, sharply angular in cross section, 1–1.2 × 0.6–0.9 mm, with 3–4 low, transverse ridges that cross angles.

Cyathia

usually in terminal dichasia, sometimes pleiochasia;

peduncle 10–50(–70) mm, glabrous.

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

peduncle 0.1–0.6 mm.

2n

= 28.

Euphorbia ipecacuanhae

Euphorbia maculata

Phenology Flowering and fruiting early spring–early summer. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Pine and pine-oak savannas, pine-oak sand hills, turkey oak scrub, open sand habitats. Disturbed areas, fallow fields, gardens, sidewalk cracks, railroads, roadsides.
Elevation 0–150 m. (0–500 ft.) 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; GA; MD; NC; NJ; NY; PA; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Eurasia; Africa; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Australia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The vegetative stems of Euphorbia ipecacuanhae are often quite short in proportion to the dichasial or pleiochasial branches, thus superficially plants often appear to have mostly opposite leaves. However, careful examination of the base of the plant will reveal alternate leaves. The leaves are extremely variable in both shape and coloration, and the variation can be pronounced within a population or even on a single plant. M. J. Huft (1979) did not recognize infraspecific taxa within E. ipecacuanhae, and his treatment is followed here. This species is found on the Atlantic coastal plain.

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

Euphorbia maculata is a widespread weed in temperate latitudes, and it also occurs in cool climates at higher elevations in the tropics. It is presumed to be native to eastern and central North America, but given its extremely weedy tendencies, it is difficult to know for sure. It spreads readily in association with greenhouse plants and earth-moving activities, and it is notorious for its ability to colonize sidewalk cracks in the summer, even in congested cities. The name E. maculata was misapplied by most earlier botanists (for example, L. C. Wheeler 1941) to plants with ascending stems that are treated here as E. nutans. D. G. Burch (1966) reviewed the sources of data used by Linnaeus in his original description and concluded that the name E. maculata applies to this prostrate-stemmed taxon. For further discussion of the distinctions between E. maculata and the similar 47. E. humistrata, see the treatment of that species.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 247. FNA vol. 12, p. 275.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum 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. hyssopifolia, E. indivisa, E. innocua, E. inundata, 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. 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 E. arundelana, Tithymalopsis ipecacuanhae Chamaesyce maculata, C. mathewsii, C. supina, C. tracyi, E. supina
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 455. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 455. (1753)
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