Flora of North America species comparison

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Euphorbia peplus

Euphorbia trichotoma

petty spurge

sand-dune spurge
Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, perennial, with thick rootstock.
Stems

erect, unbranched or branched, 5–30 cm, glabrous.

erect, branched, 15–40 cm, glabrous.
Leaves

petiole 1–10 mm;

blade obovate, oblong, or suborbiculate, 5–25 × 4–15 mm, base attenuate or cuneate, margins entire, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous;

venation pinnate, midvein prominent.

petiole absent;

blade obovate to oblanceolate, 5–20 × 2–7 mm, base broadly attenuate, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous;

venation pinnate, very obscure, midvein prominent.
Involucre

cupulate to slightly turbinate, 0.6–1.1 × 0.7–0.9 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, elliptic, 0.2–0.3 × 0.5–0.6 mm;

horns slightly convergent to divergent, 0.4–0.6 mm.

hemispheric, 1–1.5 × 1.4–2 mm, glabrous;

glands 5, elliptic to slightly crescent-shaped, 0.4–0.6 × 0.9–1.1 mm;

horns divergent, 0.1–0.2 mm.
Staminate flowers

10–15.

8–10.
Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.1–0.2 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.2–0.4 mm, 2-fid.
Capsules

subglobose, 1.3–2 × 1.5–2.2 mm, slightly 3-lobed;

cocci rounded, with 2 low longitudinal wings, smooth, glabrous;

columella 1.1–1.3 mm.

depressed-ovoid, 1.1–1.5 × 2–3 mm, strongly 3-lobed;

cocci rounded, minutely papillate, sometimes appearing smooth, glabrous;

columella 1.6–1.9 mm.
Seeds

whitish or grayish, subovoid, 1–1.6 × 0.6–1 mm, abaxial faces regularly large-pitted (appearing almost alveolate), adaxial faces longitudinally sulcate;

caruncle deciduous, conic, 0.2–0.5 × 0.2–0.7 mm.

white, ovoid-globose, 1.8–2 × 1.6–1.8 mm, smooth;

caruncle ± rounded and flattened, 0.3 × 0.3 mm.
Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3–5, usually 2–8 times 2-branched, 1st branching level rarely 3-furcate;

pleiochasial bracts similar in shape to and slightly larger than distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, ovate to obovate, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse, usually mucronate;

axillary cymose branches 0–3.

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3, each usually 1–2 times 3-branched, sometimes unbranched;

pleiochasial bracts similar in shape and size to distal leaves, alternate;

dichasial bracts distinct, obovate to oblanceolate, base broadly attenuate, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse;

axillary cymose branches 0.
Cyathia

peduncle 0.4–1.1 mm.

peduncle 0.7–1 mm.

Euphorbia peplus

Euphorbia trichotoma
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round. Flowering and fruiting year-round (primarily spring–summer).
Habitat Edges of gardens, weedy flower beds, roadsides, waste places, open ground near forests. Coastal beaches, sand dunes, thickets.
Elevation 0–1500 m. (0–4900 ft.) 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Europe; w Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Bermuda, Central America, South America, Africa, Atlantic Islands, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; Mexico; Central America; West Indies
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia trichotoma is found in coastal peninsular Florida from Hillsborough County south to Key West.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 307. FNA vol. 12, p. 311.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula
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. pediculifera, E. peplidion, 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. 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. 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. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana
Synonyms Esula peplus, Galarhoeus peplus, Tithymalus peplus Galarhoeus trichotomus, Tithymalus trichotomus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 456. (1753) Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 2(fol.): 48; 2(qto.): 60. (1817)
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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