Flora of North America species comparison

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Euphorbia lurida

Euphorbia cyparissias

woodland spurge

cypress spurge, euphorbe cypress, graveyard spurge
Habit Herbs, perennial, with thick rootstock. Herbs, perennial, with slender, spreading rootstock.
Stems

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

erect or ascending, unbranched or branched, often with short axillary vegetative shoots with very narrow leaves, 10–50 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.

petiole absent;

blade linear to linear-ovate or linear-oblanceolate, 5–30 × 0.5–3 mm, base rounded to cuneate, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, surfaces glabrous;

venation inconspicuous, only midvein prominent.
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.

campanulate to slightly urceolate, 1.5–2 × 0.9–1.1 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, crescent-shaped; 0.4–0.6 × 0.7–1.3 mm;

horns convergent, 0.1–0.5 mm.
Staminate flowers

10–20.

15–25.
Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous or puberulent;

styles 0.7–1 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 1–1.2 mm, 2-fid.
Capsules

ovoid, 3.5–4 × 4–4.5 mm, 3-lobed;

cocci rounded, smooth to slightly rugose, glabrous;

columella 3.2–3.5 mm.

subglobose, 2.5–3 × 3–4 mm, slightly lobed;

cocci rounded, granulate, glabrous;

columella 1.9–2.1 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.

blackish, ovoid-oblong, 1.8–2.5 × 1.4–1.7 mm, smooth;

caruncle nipple-shaped or subreniform, 0.2–0.4 × 0.7–1.1 mm.
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.

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 6–25, each 1–2-times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts similar in shape to distal leaves except shorter and wider;

dichasial bracts distinct, widely ovate, rhombic or reniform, base obtuse to truncate, margins entire, apex acute or obtuse, sometimes mucronulate;

axillary cymose branches 0–15.
Cyathia

peduncle 0.3–0.9 mm.

peduncle 0–0.5 mm.

Euphorbia lurida

Euphorbia cyparissias
Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Open pine-oak forests, dry slopes and canyons. Fields, roadsides, waste places.
Elevation 1300–2800 m. (4300–9200 ft.) 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[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.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 305. FNA vol. 12, p. 301.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula
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. 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. 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 Galarhoeus cyparissias, Tithymalus cyparissias
Name authority Engelmann: in J. C. Ives, Rep. Colorado R. 4: 26. (1861) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 461. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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