Euphorbia maculata |
Euphorbia terracina |
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euphorbe maculée, milk purslane, milk spurge, prostrate spurge, sandmat, spotted sandmat, spotted sandmat or spurge, spotted spurge |
carnation spurge, Geraldton carnation weed, terracina spurge |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | Herbs, perennial or biennial, with taproot. |
Stems | usually prostrate, occasionally with ascending tips, often mat-forming, not rooting at nodes, 5–45 cm, densely and evenly short-sericeous to sericeous or villous. |
erect, unbranched or branched, 10–100 cm, glabrous. |
Leaves | opposite; stipules distinct, linear-subulate, sometimes irregularly 2–3-lobed, 1–1.3 mm, sparsely short-sericeous to sericeous or villous; petiole 0.5–1.5 mm, moderately short-sericeous to sericeous or villous; blade oblong-ovate to ovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 4–18 × 2.5–8 mm, base strongly asymmetric, one side usually angled and other ± truncate and expanded into small, rounded auricle, margins serrulate (longer side) or subentire (shorter side), apex rounded or broadly acute, abaxial surface pale grayish green, moderately to densely lanulose to villous, adaxial surface usually with irregular reddish streak along midvein, glabrate or with sparse, long, slender hairs; palmately veined at base, pinnate distally. |
petiole absent; blade linear, linear-lanceolate, oblong-elliptic, or obovate, 4–50 × 2–10 mm, base obtuse or truncate, margins finely serrulate, apex acute, obtuse, or truncate, sometimes mucronulate, surfaces glabrous; venation inconspicuous, only midvein prominent. |
Involucre | obconic, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.8 mm, sparsely strigose to short-sericeous; glands 4, green to yellow-green, turning pink with age, usually ± unequal, narrowly oblong to nearly linear, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.5 mm; appendages white to reddish tinged, lunate to oblong, 0.1–0.3 × 0.2–1.5 mm, distal margin crenulate. |
cupulate to slightly turbinate, 1.1–2 × 1.3–1.5 mm, glabrous or puberulent; glands 4, elliptic to trapezoidal, 0.6–0.8 × 1–2 mm; horns slightly convergent to divergent, 1–2 mm. |
Staminate flowers | 2–5. |
15–20. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary sericeous; styles 0.3–0.4 mm, 2-fid at apex. |
ovary glabrous; styles 1–1.8 mm, 2-fid. |
Capsules | ovoid, well exserted from involucre at maturity, 1.3–1.5 × 1.2–1.4 mm, sparsely to moderately and evenly sericeous; columella 1–1.2 mm. |
depressed-globose, 2.5–3 × 3–4.5 mm, deeply 3-lobed; cocci rounded to subangular, smooth, glabrous; columella 1.9–2.3 mm. |
Seeds | white to light brown, oblong-ovoid, sharply angular in cross section, 1–1.2 × 0.6–0.9 mm, with 3–4 low, transverse ridges that cross angles. |
pale gray, subovoid, 1.6–2.4 × 1.3–1.8 mm, smooth; caruncle boat-shaped, 0.4–0.6 × 0.4–0.6 mm. |
Cyathia | solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes or on congested, axillary branches; peduncle 0.1–0.6 mm. |
peduncle 1–3 mm. |
Cyathial | arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 2–5, each 1–5 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts lanceolate, elliptic or ovate, similar in size to distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, ovate to subreniform, base cuneate to cordate, margins finely serrulate, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded, sometimes mucronulate or cuspidate; axillary cymose branches 0–7. |
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2n | = 28. |
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Euphorbia maculata |
Euphorbia terracina |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. | Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. |
Habitat | Disturbed areas, fallow fields, gardens, sidewalk cracks, railroads, roadsides. | Edges of cultivated fields and woodlands, roadsides, waste areas, pastures, coastal bluffs, dunes, riparian areas. |
Elevation | 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.) | 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Eurasia; Africa; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Australia
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CA; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, s Africa, Australia]
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Discussion | Euphorbia maculata is a widespread weed in temperate latitudes, and it also occurs in cool climates at higher elevations in the tropics. It is presumed to be native to eastern and central North America, but given its extremely weedy tendencies, it is difficult to know for sure. It spreads readily in association with greenhouse plants and earth-moving activities, and it is notorious for its ability to colonize sidewalk cracks in the summer, even in congested cities. The name E. maculata was misapplied by most earlier botanists (for example, L. C. Wheeler 1941) to plants with ascending stems that are treated here as E. nutans. D. G. Burch (1966) reviewed the sources of data used by Linnaeus in his original description and concluded that the name E. maculata applies to this prostrate-stemmed taxon. For further discussion of the distinctions between E. maculata and the similar 47. E. humistrata, see the treatment of that species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Euphorbia terracina is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe. This species is invasive and spreading rapidly, displacing native coastal scrub in southern California, and has been listed as a noxious weed by that state. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 275. | FNA vol. 12, p. 310. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Chamaesyce maculata, C. mathewsii, C. supina, C. tracyi, E. supina | Tithymalus terracinus |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 455. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 654. (1762) |
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