Euphorbia lathyris |
Euphorbia glyptosperma |
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caper spurge, euphorbe épurge, gopher plant, gopher spurge, mole plant |
corrugate-seed spurge, rib-seed sandmat, ridge-seed spurge |
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Habit | Herbs, annual or biennial, with taproot. | Herbs, annual, with taproot. |
Stems | erect, unbranched or branched, 200 cm, glabrous, glaucous. |
prostrate, loosely mat-forming, 5–40 cm, glabrous, sometimes slightly glaucous. |
Leaves | opposite, decussate; petiole absent; blade linear to oblong-lanceolate, 30–120 × 3–25 mm, base acute, rounded, cordate or clasping, margins entire, apex acute or subobtuse, sometimes mucronate, surfaces glabrous, abaxial ± glaucous; venation pinnate, midvein prominent. |
opposite; stipules usually distinct, linear-subulate, usually irregularly fringed or lobed, rarely laciniate, 0.4–2 mm, glabrous; petiole 0.2–2 mm, glabrous; blade narrowly oblong to oblong-obovate or oblong-ovate, 3–15 × 2–7 mm, base asymmetric, one side angled and other rounded to shallowly cordate, margins minutely sparsely serrulate, especially near apex and on longer side, apex rounded to obtuse, abaxial surface usually pale grayish green, adaxial surface sometimes reddish tinged or with reddish blotch, both surfaces glabrous; palmately veined at base, pinnate distally. |
Involucre | campanulate, 1.2–2.3 × 1.4–2.5 mm, glabrous; glands 4, elliptic, 0.3–0.6 × 1–1.3 mm; horns divergent, thick, tips rounded, dilated, 0.5–1.4 mm. |
obconic, 0.6–0.9 × 0.3–0.6 mm, glabrous; glands 4, red to purple, narrowly oblong-elliptic, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.5 mm; appendages white or pinkish tinged, semilunate and fringing distal margin of gland, 0.1–0.3 × 0.1–0.3 mm, distal margin usually irregularly crenulate or lobed. |
Staminate flowers | 25–30. |
1–5. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.7–2.2 mm, 2-fid. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.1–0.3 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length. |
Capsules | depressed-globose, 9–12 × 12–16 mm, deeply 3-lobed, tardily dehiscent and appearing indehiscent, mesocarp spongy; cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous; columella 4–5.2 mm. |
broadly ovoid, 1.3–1.9 × 1.6–2 mm, glabrous; columella 1.3–1.5 mm. |
Seeds | brownish or blackish, oblong, 4.5–6 × 3–4.2 mm, rugose, irregularly reticulate; caruncle substipitate, hat-shaped, 1.6–2 × 1.2–1.5 mm. |
with thin white coat that readily falls off, surface below tan brown, oblong-ovoid, sharply angular in cross section, 1–1.4 × 0.6–0.9 mm, with 3–4(–6) prominent transverse ridges that usually interrupt abaxial keel. |
Cyathial | arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 2–4, each 1–2 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts cordate-lanceolate, shorter and wider than distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, ovate-oblong to lanceolate, base subcordate, margins entire, apex acute; axillary cymose branches 0–10. |
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Cyathia | peduncle 0–0.5 mm. |
solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes; peduncle 0.5–1.6 mm. |
2n | = 22. |
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Euphorbia lathyris |
Euphorbia glyptosperma |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting winter–fall. | Flowering and fruiting early summer–fall. |
Habitat | Roadsides, cultivated fields, stream banks, waste places. | Stream and river banks, sand prairies, loess hill prairies, meadows, ballast, open disturbed areas, roadsides. |
Elevation | 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) | 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; CT; ID; IL; MA; MD; MT; NC; OH; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WA; WV; BC; ON; QC; Europe; Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, South America, Australia]
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AZ; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; LA; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NH; NM; NV; NY; OK; OR; SD; TN; TX; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)
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Discussion | Euphorbia lathyris is most likely native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region, but it is widely cultivated and often locally escaped in temperate regions worldwide, as in the flora area. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Euphorbia glyptosperma is one of the most widespread species of the genus in North America, and it is often quite weedy. It is likely native to much of the central United States, but in areas like eastern Canada, it occurs in highly disturbed habitats, and it may be adventive there. Euphorbia glyptosperma is characterized by its prominently ridged seeds, laciniate stipules, complete lack of pubescence, and somewhat obscure toothing near the tips of the leaves. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 304. | FNA vol. 12, p. 269. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Galarhoeus lathyris, Tithymalus lathyris | Chamaesyce glyptosperma |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 457. (1753) — (as lathyrus) | Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 187. (1859) |
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