Euphorbia polycarpa |
Euphorbia polygonifolia |
|
---|---|---|
smallseed sandmat |
dune spurge, euphorbe à feuilles de renouée, seaside sandmat, seaside spurge |
|
Habit | Herbs, annual, with taproot. | |
Stems | usually prostrate, occasionally ascending, 5–30 cm, glabrous. |
|
Leaves | opposite; stipules usually distinct, occasionally connate basally (distal portion of stem), triangular-subulate, entire or divided, 0.8–1.5 mm, glabrous; petiole 1–3 mm, glabrous; blade oblong, linear-oblong, or linear-lanceolate, 5–16 × 2–4 mm, base slightly asymmetric, obtuse or subcordate, margins entire, apex obtuse, often mucronulate, surfaces uniformly green or reddish tinged, glabrous; venation obscure. |
|
Involucre | obconic-campanulate, 1.2–1.7 × 1–1.4 mm, glabrous; glands 4, occasionally rudimentary, green-yellow to tan or orange-tinged, occasionally shortly stipitate, usually broadly oval to subcircular, sometimes figure eight-shaped, shallowly cupped, 0.1–0.3 × 0.2–0.4 mm; appendages absent or rudimentary. |
|
Staminate flowers | 5–14. |
|
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.7–1 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length. |
|
Capsules | broadly ovoid, 3–3.5(–4) × (2–)2.4–3 mm, glabrous; columella 2–3 mm. |
|
Seeds | ashy white, wedge-shaped to slightly ovoid, weakly dorsiventrally compressed and elliptic-terete to bluntly subangled in cross section, back strongly rounded, face slightly rounded, (2–)2.2–2.8 × 1.6–1.9 mm, smooth or minutely pitted, with smooth brown line from top to bottom on adaxial side. |
|
Euphorbia | polycarpa is a highly variable species distributed throughout the Baja California peninsula, eastern Sonora, and the arid southwestern United States from southwestern Arizona to southern Nevada and central California. |
|
l | . |
|
c | . |
|
Wheeler | (1941) divided the species into seven varieties, the majority of which occur in Baja California Sur. |
|
He | reported two of these for the United States: var. hirtella and var. polycarpa. |
|
Variety | hirtella, as the name suggests, was applied to hairy plants. |
|
However | , it is here treated as a synonym of var. polycarpa, because variation in pubescence shows no geographic segregation and ranges along a continuum from glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy, and because glabrous and hairy branches can occur on the same individual. |
|
Cyathia | solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes; peduncle 0.5–5 mm. |
|
Euphorbia polycarpa |
Euphorbia polygonifolia |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting early summer–fall. | |
Habitat | Sandy maritime and freshwater beaches and foredunes. | |
Elevation | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) | |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; NV; nw Mexico
|
CT; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; VA; WI; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC
|
Discussion | Varieties 5 (1 in the flora). Some of the varieties occurring in Mexico are highly divergent and appear to be sufficiently distinct to merit recognition as species. However, within the flora area, Euphorbia polycarpa is relatively uniform, and the only noteworthy variation involves the size of the involucral gland appendages. In the portion of the California Floristic Province occupied by E. polycarpa (Los Angeles, Orange, western Riverside, western San Diego, and Ventura counties) the appendages are conspicuously larger than those of plants throughout the remainder of its range in the southwestern United States (0.4–1.2 versus 0.1–0.3 mm). Large-appendaged plants are also common in Baja California and correspond well with the type collection. The taxonomic significance of this variation is not clear at this time, and the small-appendaged plants may merit segregation as an infraspecific taxon. However, no formal changes are proposed, awaiting a comprehensive review of the species throughout its range. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Euphorbia polygonifolia is native to coastal beaches and dunes along the Atlantic Ocean from the maritime provinces of Canada south to northern Florida. The species also occurs disjunctly along the shores of the North American Great Lakes. Euphorbia polygonifolia was native to Quebec but is now considered extirpated from the province. It has apparently been introduced in Europe, but it is unclear if it has persisted there (L. C. Wheeler 1941). Immature individuals of this species can be somewhat difficult to distinguish from E. bombensis where their ranges overlap (Virginia to northern Florida). Where they occur together, E. polygonifolia tends to be a pioneer species on the upper beach and foredune front, whereas E. bombensis tends to inhabit areas behind the foredune (R. D. Porcher and D. A. Rayner 2002). Euphorbia polygonifolia can be distinguished also by its larger capsules and larger, wedge-shaped to slightly ovoid seeds. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 283. | FNA vol. 12, p. 284. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Synonyms | Chamaesyce polycarpa | Chamaesyce polygonifolia |
Name authority | Bentham: Bot. Voy. Sulphur, 50. (1844) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 455. (1753) |
Web links |