Euphorbia parryi |
Euphorbia austrotexana |
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dune spurge, Parry's sandmat, Parry's spurge |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | ||||
Stems | usually prostrate, rarely ascending-erect, 5–70(–85) cm, glabrous. |
erect, usually branched near base, 6–22 cm, glabrous. |
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Leaves | opposite; stipules distinct, linear-subulate, usually lacerate and divided into 2 or more slender segments, rarely entire, 0.6–1.4 mm, glabrous; petiole 1–2.5 mm, glabrous; blade linear to narrowly oblong, (5–)10–25(–30) × 2–5 mm, base usually symmetric, sometimes slightly asymmetric, attenuate, margins entire, occasionally ± revolute, apex acute to obtuse, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous; only midvein conspicuous. |
petiole absent; blade linear to slightly lanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 5–18 × 0.5–2.5 mm, base linear attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse or acute, surfaces glabrous; venation pinnate, midvein prominent. |
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Involucre | broadly cupuliform-campanulate, 1.2–1.7 × 1.4–1.8 mm, glabrous; glands 4, reddish pink to greenish yellow, deeply concave, elliptic to oblong, 0.2–0.3 × 0.3–0.5 mm; appendages white, elliptic to oblong, usually forming narrow margin around gland, sometimes rudimentary, 0.2–0.6 × 0.3–0.7(–1.1) mm, distal margin entire. |
infundibular, 0.8–1.1 × 0.6–0.9 mm, glabrous; glands 4, crescent-shaped; 0.2–0.4 × 0.5–0.6 mm; horns divergent, 0.5–0.7 mm. |
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Staminate flowers | 40–55. |
5–10. |
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Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.5–0.7 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.3–0.5 mm, 2-fid. |
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Capsules | ovoid-globose, 2–2.3 × 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous; columella 1.4–2 mm. |
ovoid-globose, 1.8–2.2 × 3–3.2 mm, slightly 3-lobed; cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous; columella 1.5–2 mm. |
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Seeds | mottled brown and white because of irregularly loose and tight outer covering, broadly ovoid, rounded-angular in cross section, 1.4–1.8 × 0.8–1 mm, smooth or only inconspicuously roughened. |
white to gray, ellipsoid, 1.4–1.7 × 1–1.3 mm, with deep, irregular to rounded, shallow to concave depressions over entire surface; caruncle reniform-ovate, depressed-conic, 0.5–0.7 × 0.7–1 mm. |
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Cyathia | solitary or in small clusters on short axillary branches at distal nodes; peduncle 1–5 mm. |
peduncle 0–0.5 mm. |
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Cyathial | arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3, 1–3 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts similar in shape to but slightly shorter and wider than distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, not imbricate, reniform-ovate to subdeltate-ovate or broadly ovate-lanceolate, base obliquely truncate to rounded, margins entire, apex obtuse to broadly acuminate; axillary cymose branches 0–3. |
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Euphorbia parryi |
Euphorbia austrotexana |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. | |||||
Habitat | Sand dunes, other sandy habitats. | |||||
Elevation | 200–2200 m. (700–7200 ft.) | |||||
Distribution |
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT; Mexico (Chihuahua)
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TX |
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Discussion | Euphorbia parryi is similar to E. missurica, differing only by the generally narrow involucral gland appendages and prostrate habit in E. parryi as opposed to the conspicuous involucral gland appendages and ascending-erect habit in E. missurica. Euphorbia parryi has sometimes been considered the western race of E. missurica (D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston 1970). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). Euphorbia austrotexana occurs in stabilized sandy soil in the south Texas plains (M. H. Mayfield 2013). It is similar to E. longicruris but differs from that species in its often narrowly oblanceolate to linear leaves and its white to gray, ellipsoid seeds that are covered with minute, concave depressions. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 281. | FNA vol. 12, p. 298. | ||||
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | Chamaesyce longeramosa, C. parryi, E. longeramosa | |||||
Name authority | Engelmann: Amer. Naturalist 9: 350. (1875) | Mayfield: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 7: 634, figs. 1, 2[row 3, left & center]. (2013) | ||||
Web links |