Euphorbia lathyris |
Euphorbia texana |
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caper spurge, euphorbe épurge, gopher plant, gopher spurge, mole plant |
Texas 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 or ascending, unbranched or branched, sometimes extensively at crown, 7–20 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 oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, 8–15 × 2–5 mm, base usually attenuate, occasionally cuneate, margins crenulate distally, apex rounded to obtuse, bluntly mucronate, surfaces glabrous; venation 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. |
hemispheric, 0.5–0.9 × 0.6–1 mm, glabrous; glands (4–)5, elongate reniform, 0.1–0.3 × 0.3–0.5 mm; horns absent. |
Staminate flowers | 25–30. |
5. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.7–2.2 mm, 2-fid. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.8–1 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, 1.6–2 × 2.5–3 mm, 3-lobed; cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous; columella 1.2–1.5 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. |
brownish black, globose-lenticular, 1.4–1.5 × 1.3–1.4 mm, finely reticulate or areolate with distinct line on back; caruncle low conic, 0.4 × 0.5 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, each 1–3 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts similar in shape and size to distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, elliptic to ovate, base acute to ± truncate, margins crenate distally, apex obtuse to rounded and mucronate; axillary cymose branches 1–3. |
Cyathia | peduncle 0–0.5 mm. |
peduncle 0.3–0.6 mm. |
Euphorbia lathyris |
Euphorbia texana |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting winter–fall. | Flowering and fruiting spring. |
Habitat | Roadsides, cultivated fields, stream banks, waste places. | Open ground, prairies. |
Elevation | 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) | 0–200 m. (0–700 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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LA; 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 texana is related to E. alta and E. spathulata, but differs from both of those species in its smooth capsules. It is endemic to southeastern Texas and adjacent Louisiana. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 304. | FNA vol. 12, p. 311. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Galarhoeus lathyris, Tithymalus lathyris | E. dictyosperma var. leiococca, E. leiococca |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 457. (1753) — (as lathyrus) | Boissier: Cent. Euphorb., 30. (1860) |
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