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woodland spurge

Dixie sandmat, southern seaside spurge

Habit Herbs, perennial, with thick rootstock. Herbs, usually annual, rarely perennial, with taproot.
Stems

erect or ascending, unbranched, sometimes sinuous, 5–30 cm, glabrous or sparsely to densely puberulent.

prostrate or slightly ascending, 10–40 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

petiole 0–1 mm;

blade oblanceolate to obovate, 8–20 mm × 3–7 mm, base truncate or cuneate, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded, minutely mucronate, surfaces puberulent or glabrous;

venation inconspicuous, only midvein prominent.

opposite;

stipules distinct, linear-subulate, usually divided into 3 linear segments, 1–2 mm, glabrous;

petiole 1–2 mm, glabrous;

blade oblong or elliptic-oblong, 4–15 × 2–3 mm, base asymmetric to nearly symmetric, obtuse, margins entire, apex acute to mucronate, surfaces green to reddish flushed, glabrous;

only midvein conspicuous.

Involucre

cupulate, 2–2.2 × 1.3–1.8 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, oblong to broadly ovate, usually truncate, 0.5–0.8 × 1–1.6 mm, margins irregularly crenate to strongly dentate;

horns absent or usually divergent or straight, 0.1–0.3 mm, usually slightly longer than, occasionally equaling, teeth on gland margin.

obconic-campanulate, 1.2–1.6 × 1.5–1.7 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, green to red, slightly concave, elliptic, oblong, or subcircular, 0.3–0.5 × 0.4–0.6 mm;

appendages white or pink, semilunate, fringing edge of gland, sometimes rudimentary, (0–)0.1–0.5(–0.7) × 0.5–0.8 mm, distal margin crenate to entire.

Staminate flowers

10–20.

5–16.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous or puberulent;

styles 0.7–1 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.2–0.3 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

Capsules

ovoid, 3.5–4 × 4–4.5 mm, 3-lobed;

cocci rounded, smooth to slightly rugose, glabrous;

columella 3.2–3.5 mm.

broadly ovoid, 2–2.1 × 2.3–2.5 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.5–2 mm.

Seeds

gray to dark gray, truncate-oblong to truncate-ovoid, 2.8–3 × 1.7–2 mm, irregularly pitted;

caruncle conic, 0.6 × 0.7 mm.

ashy white, plumply ovoid, terete to bluntly subangled in cross section, 1.5–1.9 × 1–1.2 mm, smooth or minutely pitted, with smooth brown line from top to bottom on adaxial side.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3–5, each 1–4 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts ovate to broadly ovate or oblanceolate, wider than distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, rounded, oblanceolate, or subreniform, base cuneate or obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse, slightly mucronate;

axillary cymose branches 0–4.

Cyathia

peduncle 0.3–0.9 mm.

solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.5–3 mm.

Euphorbia lurida

Euphorbia bombensis

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Open pine-oak forests, dry slopes and canyons. Coastal dunes and sandy habitats.
Elevation 1300–2800 m. (4300–9200 ft.) 0–30 m. (0–100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; n South America (Venezuela)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia lurida has been treated as a complex of several taxa in the past, but only a single, broadly-defined species is recognized here. This species is variable in both the pubescence and shape of the bracts subtending the cyathia and also in the degree of crenation of the gland margin. In the northern part of its range, E. lurida appears to intergrade with E. brachycera, and it can be difficult to distinguish these two species in northern Arizona and New Mexico. A report of the species from Sonora, Mexico, based on a single immature collection (V. W. Steinmann and R. S. Felger 1997) has not been verified.

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

Euphorbia bombensis is similar and closely related to E. cumulicola, E. geyeri, and E. polygonifolia. It differs notably from E. polygonifolia in its smaller, plumply ovoid seeds. L. C. Wheeler (1941) suggested that where E. bombensis and E. polygonifolia are sympatric, E. bombensis grows farther away from the shore. Euphorbia bombensis is usually distinguished from E. cumulicola by the latter's smaller, isomorphic leaves that lack any fleshiness, smaller seeds, and diffuse growth habit. Euphorbia bombensis differs from E. geyeri in its usually shorter, less conspicuous involucral gland appendages and its geographic restriction to the coastal plain. However, Wheeler pointed out that plants of E. bombensis from Texas have more or less conspicuous involucral gland appendages. Examination of specimens confirmed that E. bombensis occasionally has conspicuous involucral gland appendages, and because of this, E. bombensis and E. geyeri are difficult to distinguish in Texas. This clade of closely related, sand and dune specialists requires further study.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 305. FNA vol. 12, p. 261.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula 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. ipecacuanhae, E. jaegeri, E. jejuna, E. laredana, E. lasiocarpa, E. lata, E. lathyris, E. longicruris, 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. 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. 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. palmeri, E. palmeri var. subpubens, E. subpubens, Tithymalus luridus, T. palmeri, T. subpubens Chamaesyce ammannioides, C. bombensis, C. ingallsii, E. ammannioides
Name authority Engelmann: in J. C. Ives, Rep. Colorado R. 4: 26. (1861) Jacquin: Enum. Syst. Pl., 22. (1760)
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