Flora of North America species comparison

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Euphorbia pediculifera

Euphorbia hexagona

Carrizo Mountain sandmat

six-angle spurge
Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

erect, unbranched or branched, 30–70(–100) cm, sparsely hispid, occasionally densely so at distal nodes.
Leaves

opposite;

stipules (0–)0.1 mm;

petiole 1–4 mm, pilose;

blade linear-filiform, linear, or elliptic, 21–40 × 0.9–7.5 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface sparsely hispidulous to strigillose, adaxial surface glabrous;

venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous.
Involucre

campanulate, 1–1.5 × (1–)1.5–1.8 mm, hispid;

glands 5, green to deep red, elliptic to reniform, 0.5 × 0.8–1 mm;

appendages white to green, tinged red, deltate to ovate, 0.7–1.7 × (0.9–)1.3–1.5 mm, entire.
Staminate flowers

15–30(–40).
Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.7–1.1 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length.
Capsules

subglobose to broadly ovoid, 4.7–6.5 × 4.9–6.5(–7.1) mm, glabrous;

columella 3.5–4.5 mm.
Seeds

dark brown or dark gray, ovoid, 3.4 × 2.7 mm, rugose, whitish glaucous;

caruncle absent.
Euphorbia

pediculifera can be variable in terms of leaf shape and the extent of pubescence, but the species is readily identified by the short, appressed hairs on the leaves and the distinctive seed that is encircled by a series of round, transverse ridges.

Cyathia

solitary in leaf axils or in terminal cymes or dichasia;

peduncle 1–2.1 mm, strigillose.

Euphorbia pediculifera

Euphorbia hexagona
Phenology Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall.
Habitat Sand prairies, other sandy soil habitats, stream banks, sand bars, damp places.
Elevation 200–1300 m. (700–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; CO; IA; IL; KS; MN; MO; MT; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WI; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (1 in the flora).

Euphorbia pediculifera var. linearifolia S. Watson is found only near Guaymas in southwestern Sonora, Mexico.

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

Euphorbia hexagona is native to the central United States and is most common from southern South Dakota to Oklahoma and northern Texas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 281. FNA vol. 12, p. 247.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum
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. ophthalmica, E. ouachitana, E. parishii, E. parryi, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. pediculifera var. pediculifera
Synonyms Chamaesyce pediculifera
Name authority Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 186. (1859) Nuttall ex Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 791. (1826)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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