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caper spurge, euphorbe épurge, gopher plant, gopher spurge, mole plant

Paria spurge, Utah spurge

Habit Herbs, annual or biennial, with taproot. Herbs, annual, with slender little-branched taproot.
Stems

erect, unbranched or branched, 200 cm, glabrous, glaucous.

erect to ascending, branched, dichotomous distally and slightly angled, 4–25 cm, glabrous or sparsely strigillose.

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 0.1–0.2 mm;

petiole 2–6 mm, glabrous or sparsely strigillose;

blade usually linear- to narrowly-elliptic, occasionally ovate to obovate, 14–42 × 3–10 mm, progressively narrower distally, base attenuate, margins entire, apex usually acute, rarely obtuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely strigillose;

venation inconspicuous.

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.

campanulate, 1–1.1 × 1.2–1.4 mm, strigillose at least toward apex;

glands 5, green-yellow, oblong, 0.4–0.6 × 0.7–1 mm;

appendages whitish to yellow-green, lunate to broadly ovate, 0.2–0.5 × 0.7–1.1 mm, entire or slightly crenulate.

Staminate flowers

25–30.

25–30.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.7–2.2 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.7–1 mm, 2-fid at apex.

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.

oblate to subglobose, 2.9–3.2 × 3.2–3.4 mm, glabrous;

columella 2.8–3.1 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.

light gray to whitish, oblong-ovoid, rounded in cross section, 2.3–2.6 × 1.3–1.5 mm, dimpled and rugulose;

caruncle absent.

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.

Cyathia

peduncle 0–0.5 mm.

solitary at distal bifurcations of stems;

peduncle 0.6–2.4 mm, glabrous or strigillose.

Euphorbia lathyris

Euphorbia nephradenia

Phenology Flowering and fruiting winter–fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat Roadsides, cultivated fields, stream banks, waste places. Saltbush, blackbrush, Ephedra-dominated scrub and desert communities.
Elevation 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) 1100–1500 m. (3600–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
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]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; UT
[BONAP county map]
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 nephradenia is the only species of the genus endemic to the Colorado Plateau of Utah and adjacent Colorado.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 304. FNA vol. 12, p. 249.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum
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. ipecacuanhae, E. jaegeri, E. jejuna, E. laredana, E. lasiocarpa, E. lata, 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. 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 Galarhoeus lathyris, Tithymalus lathyris
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 457. (1753) — (as lathyrus) Barneby: Leafl. W. Bot. 10: 314. (1966)
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