Euphorbia lathyris |
Euphorbia peplidion |
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caper spurge, euphorbe épurge, gopher plant, gopher spurge, mole plant |
low 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. |
erect, unbranched or branched, 5–20 cm, glabrous. |
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. |
petiole 0–0.2 mm; blade linear-oblanceolate to cuneate-spatulate, 5–20 × 1–4 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous; venation inconspicuously pinnate, midvein prominent. |
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. |
broadly campanulate-turbinate, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.9 mm, glabrous; glands 4, elliptic, 0.2–0.3 × 0.5–0.6 mm; horns divergent, 0.4–0.5 mm. |
Staminate flowers | 25–30. |
5–10. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.7–2.2 mm, 2-fid. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.5–0.7 mm, 2-fid. |
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. |
depressed-globose, 1.8–2.3 × 2.6–3 mm, 3-lobed; cocci slightly flattened, without wings, smooth, 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. |
gray to brown, oblong, 1.3–1.6 × 0.9–1.1 mm, abaxial faces irregularly large-pitted, adaxial faces longitudinally sulcate; caruncle flat, umbonate, 2-lobed, 0.4 × 0.7 mm. |
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. |
arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3(–5), 1–3 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts linear, lanceolate, or spatulate, similar in size to distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, rhomboid-lanceolate to ovate, falcate, base rounded to obtuse, margins entire or slightly erose, apex acute; axillary cymose branches 0–3. |
Cyathia | peduncle 0–0.5 mm. |
peduncle 0.3–0.5 mm. |
Euphorbia lathyris |
Euphorbia peplidion |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting winter–fall. | Flowering and fruiting late winter–spring. |
Habitat | Roadsides, cultivated fields, stream banks, waste places. | Dry, sandy areas, open areas with poor soils, roadsides, stream banks. |
Elevation | 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) | 100–300 m. (300–1000 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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TX |
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 peplidion is native to central and south-central Texas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 304. | FNA vol. 12, p. 306. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Galarhoeus lathyris, Tithymalus lathyris | Tithymalus peplidion |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 457. (1753) — (as lathyrus) | Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 191. (1859) |
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