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Contura Creek sandmat, Contura Creek spurge, valley spurge

Photo is of parent taxon

valley spurge

Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

prostrate, 10–35 cm, glabrous or pilose.

10–35 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules distinct, subulate, 0.5–1.6 mm, glabrous or pilose;

petiole 0.3–2 mm, glabrous or pilose;

blade ovate to deltate or falcate, 2.3–13 × 1.5–6 mm, base asymmetric, usually cordate, rarely rounded, margins occasionally reddish, entire, often revolute, apex acute to obtuse, occasionally mucronate, surfaces glabrous or pilose;

midvein conspicuous, lateral veins frequently visible abaxially.

stipules 0.5–1.6 mm, glabrous;

petiole 0.3–1.2 mm, glabrous;

blade 2.3–13 × 1.5–6 mm, apex acute, occasionally mucronate, surfaces glabrous;

lateral veins frequently visible abaxially.

Peduncle

0.9–2 mm.

Involucre

campanulate, 1–2.5 × 1.3–2.4 mm, glabrous or pilose;

glands 4, yellow becoming deep red, elliptic or oblong to orbiculate, 0.4–0.6 × 0.5–0.7 mm;

appendages absent or whitish, orbiculate, 0.1–0.2 × 0.3–0.5 mm, distal margin entire.

1–1.8 × 1.3–2.4 mm, glabrous;

gland appendages absent.

Staminate flowers

30–70.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous or pilose;

styles 0.4–0.5 mm, 2-fid at apex.

ovary glabrous.

Capsules

subglobose to broadly ovoid, 1.4–2.7 × 1.9–3.1 mm, glabrous or pilose;

columella 1.4–2 mm.

1.4–2.7 × 1.9–2.6 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.4–2 mm.

Seeds

whitish gray to black, ovoid to oblong, terete to bluntly subangled in cross section, 1.1–1.7 × 0.8–1.3 mm, rugose or smooth.

whitish gray, ovoid, 1.1–1.6 × 0.9–1.3 mm, rugose or smooth.

Cyathia

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.9–2.2 mm.

Euphorbia ocellata

Euphorbia ocellata subsp. ocellata

Phenology Flowering and fruiting early spring–fall.
Habitat Sandy soils, dunes, river washes, hard clay soils, roadsides.
Elevation 80–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; ID; NV; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Plants with smooth, round seeds and larger, ovate to lanceolate (and not usually falcate) leaves have been segregated as E. ocellata subsp. arenicola. Leaf size and shape and seed surface sculpturing, however, vary considerably across the species range, and most individuals appear intermediate. Therefore a variable and more broadly defined subsp. ocellata is recognized here.

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

Key
1. Stems, leaves, ovaries, and capsules glabrous; involucral gland appendages absent.
subsp. ocellata
1. Stems, leaves, ovaries, and capsules pilose; involucral gland appendages present.
subsp. rattanii
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 279. FNA vol. 12, p. 279.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum > Euphorbia ocellata
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. nutans, E. oblongata, 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. ocellata subsp. rattanii
Subordinate taxa
E. ocellata subsp. ocellata, E. ocellata subsp. rattanii
Synonyms Chamaesyce ocellata Chamaesyce arenicola, C. ocelleta subsp. arenicola, E. arenicola, E. ocellata subsp. arenicola, E. ocelleta var. arenicola, E. ocelleta var. kirbyi
Name authority Durand & Hilgard: Pl. Heermann., 46. (1854) unknown
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