Euphorbia ophthalmica |
Euphorbia terracina |
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Florida hammock sandmat |
carnation spurge, Geraldton carnation weed, terracina spurge |
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Habit | Herbs, usually annual, rarely short-lived perennial, with slender to slightly thickened taproot. | Herbs, perennial or biennial, with taproot. |
Stems | usually prostrate, rarely ascending, 6–22 cm, usually both strigillose and hirsute. |
erect, unbranched or branched, 10–100 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. |
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, 0.5–0.7 × 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. |
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 | 2–8. |
15–20. |
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 1–1.8 mm, 2-fid. |
Capsules | ovoid, 1–1.2 × 1–1.3 mm, strigillose; columella 0.7–1.1 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 | 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. |
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 | in dense, terminal, capitate glomerules, with reduced, bractlike leaves subtending cyathia; peduncles 0–0.8 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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Euphorbia ophthalmica |
Euphorbia terracina |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting year-round. | Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. |
Habitat | Hammock forests, disturbed areas in lawns, roadsides. | Edges of cultivated fields and woodlands, roadsides, waste areas, pastures, coastal bluffs, dunes, riparian areas. |
Elevation | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) | 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) |
Distribution |
AR; CA; FL; GA; LA; MO; PA; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in Europe] |
CA; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, s Africa, Australia]
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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 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. 280. | FNA vol. 12, p. 310. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Chamaesyce ophthalmica, E. hirta var. procumbens, E. pilulifera var. procumbens | Tithymalus terracinus |
Name authority | Persoon: Syn. Pl. 2: 13. (1806) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 654. (1762) |
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