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Florida hammock sandmat

heartleaf sandmat

Habit Herbs, usually annual, rarely short-lived perennial, with slender to slightly thickened taproot. Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

usually prostrate, rarely ascending, 6–22 cm, usually both strigillose and hirsute.

prostrate, occasionally mat-forming, 10–43 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

opposite;

stipules distinct, subulate-filiform, undivided or divided into 2–4 narrowly triangular to linear-subulate segments, no dark, circular glands at base of stipules, 0.9–1.5 mm, pilose or strigillose;

petiole 0.3–1.2 mm, glabrescent, strigillose, or sericeous;

blade usually ovate or oblong, rarely subrhombic, 4–13 × 3–7 mm, base asymmetric, one side usually angled and other side rounded, margins coarsely serrulate, apex acute, surfaces often with red spot in center, strigillose or sericeous, or adaxial surface glabrescent; 3-veined from base.

opposite;

stipules usually distinct, occasionally connate at base, filiform, 1–1.2(–2.8) mm, usually glabrous, rarely pilose;

petiole 0.4–1 mm, usually glabrous;

blade ovate to oblong, 4.4–12 × 2.6–7.6 mm, base asymmetric, cordate to rounded, margins entire, apex rounded to mucronulate, surfaces glabrous;

only midvein conspicuous.

Involucre

obconic, 0.5–0.7 × 0.4–0.6 mm, strigillose;

glands 4, yellow green to pink, circular to slightly oblong, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.2 mm;

appendages absent or white to pink, forming thin rim around edge of gland or oblong, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.3 mm, distal margin entire or shallowly lobed.

campanulate, 1–1.3 × 1–1.3 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, yellowish to pink, elliptic, 0.3–0.5 × 0.5–1 mm;

appendages whitish to pink, sometimes drying red, elliptic to ovoid, 1.1–1.5 × 1.2–1.9 mm, distal margin entire, retuse, or erose.

Staminate flowers

2–8.

5–40.

Pistillate flowers

ovary strigillose, often canescent when young;

styles 0.1–0.3 mm, 2-fid 1/2 to nearly entire length.

ovary glabrous;

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

Capsules

ovoid, 1–1.2 × 1–1.3 mm, strigillose;

columella 0.7–1.1 mm.

ovoid, 2–3 mm diam., glabrous;

columella 1.2–2.7 mm.

Seeds

orange-brown to pinkish, narrowly ovoid, 4-angled in cross section, 0.7–0.9(–1.1) × 0.5 mm, usually rugulose, with 3–6 faint, low, transverse ridges, rarely almost smooth.

gray or tan with dark brown mottling, ovoid, bluntly 3–4-angled in cross section, 1.8–2.1 × 1.2–1.4 mm, smooth to rugose.

Cyathia

in dense, terminal, capitate glomerules, with reduced, bractlike leaves subtending cyathia;

peduncles 0–0.8 mm.

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.9–3 mm.

Euphorbia ophthalmica

Euphorbia cordifolia

Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round. Flowering and fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Hammock forests, disturbed areas in lawns, roadsides. Xeric oak-pine scrub, pine-barrens, sand barrens, sandy stream banks.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; CA; FL; GA; LA; MO; PA; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in Europe]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; OK; SC; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia ophthalmica is a weedy species distributed throughout the Neotropics. It is also adventive in the Old World. Whether it is indeed native to the southeastern United States is questionable; it is introduced in Arkansas, California, Missouri, and Pennsylvania and likely occurs also in other states. Although sometimes treated as E. hirta var. procumbens, E. ophthalmica appears sufficiently distinct to justify recognition at the rank of species, differing primarily by its mostly prostrate growth form, smaller leaves, and strictly terminal clusters of cyathia.

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

Euphorbia cordifolia is easily identified by its cordate to rounded leaf base and distinctive filiform stipules.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 280. FNA vol. 12, p. 265.
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. nutans, E. oblongata, E. ocellata, 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. 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. 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 ophthalmica, E. hirta var. procumbens, E. pilulifera var. procumbens Chamaesyce cordifolia
Name authority Persoon: Syn. Pl. 2: 13. (1806) Elliott: Sketch. Bot. S. Carolina 2: 656. (1824)
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