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woodland spurge

Fendler's sandmat

Habit Herbs, perennial, with thick rootstock. Herbs, perennial, with woody, thickened taproot.
Stems

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

usually prostrate, decumbent, or ascending, very rarely erect, often densely clustered from top of woody crown, 5–12 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.

usually opposite, rarely whorled;

stipules distinct, narrowly linear, 0.5–1 mm, glabrous;

petiole 0.5–1 mm, glabrous;

blade usually orbiculate to ovate, rarely almost lanceolate, 3–8 × 2.5–7 mm, base slightly asymmetric, slightly cordate to rounded or obtuse, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous; obscurely 3–5-veined from base, 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.

campanulate to turbinate or broadly cupulate, 1.1–1.7 × 1.2–1.8 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, yellow-green to reddish, elliptic to oblong, 0.2–0.5 × 0.4–0.9 mm;

appendages absent or white, rarely pink, often unequal, lunate to flabellate or sometimes forming crenate margin along gland, (0–)0.1–0.6 × (0–)0.5–1.5 mm, distal margin entire or toothed.

Staminate flowers

10–20.

25–35.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous or puberulent;

styles 0.7–1 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.3–0.4 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.

depressed-globose, 2–2.4 × 2.2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.7–2.1 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.

white, ovoid-pyramidal, prominently 4-angled in cross section, 1.7–2 × 1–1.2 mm, smooth to slightly wrinkled.

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 at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.7–1.2 mm.

2n

= 28.

Euphorbia lurida

Euphorbia fendleri

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. Flowering and fruiting spring–fall.
Habitat Open pine-oak forests, dry slopes and canyons. Mountain slopes, desert scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands, hills, canyons, grasslands, washes, roadsides, dry crevices in limestone, often in gravel and sand.
Elevation 1300–2800 m. (4300–9200 ft.) 500–2600 m. (1600–8500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California)
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from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; KS; NE; NM; NV; OK; SD; TX; UT; WY; Mexico (Coahuila)
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[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 fendleri is similar to E. chaetocalyx and may sometimes be confused with that species. Its prostrate to decumbent or ascending stems and small, ovate to orbiculate leaves distinguish it from E. chaetocalyx. Some authors have used the presence or absence and shape of the involucral gland appendages to help separate E. fendleri from E. chaetocalyx, but those characters appear highly variable and of little taxonomic utility; somewhat intermediate individuals occur in western Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 305. FNA vol. 12, p. 267.
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. 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. 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 fendleri
Name authority Engelmann: in J. C. Ives, Rep. Colorado R. 4: 26. (1861) Torrey & A. Gray: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 2(4): 175. (1857)
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