Euphorbia parryi |
Euphorbia myrsinites |
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dune spurge, Parry's sandmat, Parry's spurge |
broad leaf glaucous spurge, donkey tail, myrtle or creeping or blue spurge, myrtle spurge |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | Herbs, usually perennial, occasionally biennial, with taproot. |
Stems | usually prostrate, rarely ascending-erect, 5–70(–85) cm, glabrous. |
erect or semiprostrate, unbranched or branched, 15–40 cm, succulent, glabrous. |
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 0–2 mm; blade obovate, obovate-oblong, lanceolate, orbiculate, or suborbiculate, 2–30 × 3–17 mm, fleshy, base truncate or attenuate, margins entire or finely denticulate, apex acute to obtuse, cuspidate or strongly mucronate, surfaces glabrous; venation and midvein inconspicuous. |
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. |
campanulate, 2.4–2.6 × 2.3–2.5 mm, glabrous; glands 4, trapezoidal, 1–1.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm; horns divergent, thick, tips rounded, dilated, 0.5–0.9 mm. |
Staminate flowers | 40–55. |
6–12. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.5–0.7 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length. |
ovary glabrous; styles 2.5–2.8 mm, usually unbranched. |
Capsules | ovoid-globose, 2–2.3 × 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous; columella 1.4–2 mm. |
subglobose, 5–7 × 5–6 mm, unlobed; cocci rounded to subangular, smooth, glabrous; columella 4.5–5 mm. |
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. |
brownish to grayish, oblong, 2.8–4.5 × 2–3.2 mm, vermiculate-rugose; caruncle substipitate, trapezoidal or mushroom-shaped, 1.3–1.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm. |
Cyathia | solitary or in small clusters on short axillary branches at distal nodes; peduncle 1–5 mm. |
peduncle 0.5–1 mm. |
Cyathial | arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 2–12, each 1–2 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts similar in shape and size to distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, suborbiculate or reniform, base truncate, margins entire or minutely denticulate, apex obtuse, mucronulate; axillary cymose branches 0–4. |
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Euphorbia parryi |
Euphorbia myrsinites |
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Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. | Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. |
Habitat | Sand dunes, other sandy habitats. | Scrub oak communities, open ground near forests, shrub-steppes. |
Elevation | 200–2200 m. (700–7200 ft.) | 0–2400 m. (0–7900 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT; Mexico (Chihuahua)
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CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC; s Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America]
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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.) |
Euphorbia myrsinites is cultivated in much of the flora area, where it can tolerate cold winters. In some areas, it can locally escape from cultivation. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 281. | FNA vol. 12, p. 305. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Chamaesyce longeramosa, C. parryi, E. longeramosa | Tithymalus myrsinites |
Name authority | Engelmann: Amer. Naturalist 9: 350. (1875) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 461. (1753) |
Web links |
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