Euphorbia parryi |
Euphorbia nephradenia |
|
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dune spurge, Parry's sandmat, Parry's spurge |
Paria spurge, Utah spurge |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | Herbs, annual, with slender little-branched taproot. |
Stems | usually prostrate, rarely ascending-erect, 5–70(–85) cm, glabrous. |
erect to ascending, branched, dichotomous distally and slightly angled, 4–25 cm, glabrous or sparsely strigillose. |
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. |
opposite; stipules 0.1–0.2 mm; petiole 2–6 mm, glabrous or sparsely strigillose; blade usually linear- to narrowly-elliptic, occasionally ovate to obovate, 14–42 × 3–10 mm, progressively narrower distally, base attenuate, margins entire, apex usually acute, rarely obtuse, surfaces glabrous or sparsely strigillose; venation 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, 1–1.1 × 1.2–1.4 mm, strigillose at least toward apex; glands 5, green-yellow, oblong, 0.4–0.6 × 0.7–1 mm; appendages whitish to yellow-green, lunate to broadly ovate, 0.2–0.5 × 0.7–1.1 mm, entire or slightly crenulate. |
Staminate flowers | 40–55. |
25–30. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.5–0.7 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length. |
ovary glabrous; styles 0.7–1 mm, 2-fid at apex. |
Capsules | ovoid-globose, 2–2.3 × 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous; columella 1.4–2 mm. |
oblate to subglobose, 2.9–3.2 × 3.2–3.4 mm, glabrous; columella 2.8–3.1 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. |
light gray to whitish, oblong-ovoid, rounded in cross section, 2.3–2.6 × 1.3–1.5 mm, dimpled and rugulose; caruncle absent. |
Cyathia | solitary or in small clusters on short axillary branches at distal nodes; peduncle 1–5 mm. |
solitary at distal bifurcations of stems; peduncle 0.6–2.4 mm, glabrous or strigillose. |
Euphorbia parryi |
Euphorbia nephradenia |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. | Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. |
Habitat | Sand dunes, other sandy habitats. | Saltbush, blackbrush, Ephedra-dominated scrub and desert communities. |
Elevation | 200–2200 m. (700–7200 ft.) | 1100–1500 m. (3600–4900 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT; Mexico (Chihuahua)
|
CO; UT |
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 nephradenia is the only species of the genus endemic to the Colorado Plateau of Utah and adjacent Colorado. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 281. | FNA vol. 12, p. 249. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Chamaesyce longeramosa, C. parryi, E. longeramosa | |
Name authority | Engelmann: Amer. Naturalist 9: 350. (1875) | Barneby: Leafl. W. Bot. 10: 314. (1966) |
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