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eyebane, eyebane sandmat, eyebane spurge, nodding or upright spotted spurge, nodding spurge

red-gland spurge, squaw sandmat

Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, perennial, with moderately to strongly thickened rootstock.
Stems

usually ascending, occasionally erect, often arched at tips, 20–80 cm, sparsely to moderately pilose to villous or with short, incurved hairs, hairs often concentrated at nodes and distally, occasionally in 2 bands along opposite sides of stem.

ascending to erect, 5–20 cm, sericeous to appressed-villous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules usually distinct, sometimes connate basally on one side of stem, small scales, irregularly toothed, fringed, or divided, 1–1.5 mm, sparsely to moderately villous distally;

petiole 0.3–1.6 mm, moderately pilose to villous;

blade oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 8–40 × 3–12 mm, base asymmetric, one side usually angled or rounded, other side ± truncate to cordate-auriculate, margins serrulate, apex angled with blunt tip, abaxial surface pale green or faintly to strongly reddish tinged, adaxial surface usually reddish-mottled or with conspicuous reddish spot, both surfaces usually sparsely to moderately pilose, especially toward base, sometimes glabrous; 3–5-veined from base, pinnate distally, veins faint.

opposite;

stipules distinct (lower side) and connate (upper side), linear, 0.5–1 mm, densely pilose;

petiole 0.8–1.5 mm, tomentose;

blade ovate, 1.2–5 × 0.8–2.9 mm, base asymmetric, hemicordate, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, surfaces tomentose;

venation inconspicuous.

Involucre

narrowly obconic, 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.7 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, usually green, sometimes reddish purple, oblong to nearly circular, 0.2–0.4 × 0.3–0.5 mm;

appendages white or pinkish, ovate to broadly elliptic, 0.2–1 × 0.2–1.5 mm, distal margin entire.

campanulate, 0.6–1.1 × 0.7–1 mm, tomentose;

glands 4, deep red to purple, elliptic, 0.3–0.4 × 0.4–0.7 mm;

appendages white or becoming pink with age, oblong to flabellate, 0.4–0.7(–1) × 0.7–1.2 mm, distal margin entire or erose.

Staminate flowers

5–28.

45–80.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.6–2.5 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

ovary tomentose, styles 0.5–0.8 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length.

Capsules

ovoid, 1.6–2.3 × 1.5–2.4 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.4–1.6 mm.

ovoid, 1.4–1.8 × 1.4–1.7 mm, tomentose;

columella 1.2–1.5 mm.

Seeds

dark brown, sometimes with thin, white coating (often more persistent along angles than faces), elliptic-ovoid to ovoid, rounded-angular in cross section, 1–1.6 × 0.5–0.8 mm, surface finely and irregularly wrinkled, sometimes faintly so, or with indistinct, shallow, rounded cross ridges.

gray to tan, oblong, 4-angled in cross section, 1–1.2 × 0.4–0.6 mm, smooth to wrinkled or alveolate.

Cyathia

solitary at distal nodes or in small, cymose clusters at branch tips;

peduncle 0.5–2.5 mm.

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle (0.6–)1.4–1.9 mm.

2n

= 12, 14, 22.

Euphorbia nutans

Euphorbia melanadenia

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall. Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat Stream banks, pond edges, disturbed portions of upland prairies, mesic to dry upland forest openings, pastures, fallow fields, railroads, roadsides, gardens, disturbed areas. Rocky slopes, river washes, dry to wet soils.
Elevation 0–1600 m. (0–5200 ft.) 400–1400 m. (1300–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; ON; QC; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in Eurasia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia nutans is probably native to at least central and eastern North America, but given its strongly weedy tendencies, it is difficult to know where it may be adventive in parts of the flora area. It is certainly introduced where it occurs in the Old World and probably in South America as well. D. G. Burch (1966) discussed the problems of assigning names to the four main entities in this nomenclatural complex (E. hypericifolia, E. hyssopifolia, E. lasiocarpa, and E. nutans) and determined that the oldest valid name for the relatively robust, temperate North American plants with ascending stems is E. nutans. See the treatment of 56. E. maculata for a discussion of the misapplication of that name to E. nutans.

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

Euphorbia melanadenia is similar in appearance to E. cinerascens, but E. melanadenia has conspicuous involucral gland appendages whereas E. cinerascens has inconspicuous appendages or lacks them entirely. Euphorbia melanadenia occurs in Arizona and southern California, whereas E. cinerascens is found only in southern and western Texas.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 278. FNA vol. 12, p. 276.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Chamaesyce lansingii, C. nutans, E. lansingii, E. preslii Chamaesyce melanadenia
Name authority Lagasca: Gen. Sp. Pl., 17. (1816) Torrey: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 135. (1857)
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