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lesser Florida spurge

low spurge

Habit Herbs, perennial, with spreading rootstock. Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

erect or ascending, branched, solitary, few, or occasionally densely clumped, previous year's dead stems not persistent, 18–33 cm, glabrous.

erect, unbranched or branched, 5–20 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

alternate;

stipules to 0.1 mm;

petiole minute or absent;

blade linear to filiform, 10–20 × 0.8–1.5(–4) mm, base cuneate, margins entire, often involute, apex rounded, surfaces glabrous;

venation usually obscure, midvein visible at base of wider leaves.

petiole 0–0.2 mm;

blade linear-oblanceolate to cuneate-spatulate, 5–20 × 1–4 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous;

venation inconspicuously pinnate, midvein prominent.

Involucre

campanulate, 1.2–2 × 1.3–1.8 mm, glabrous or strigose on distal extreme;

glands 5, red, elliptic, 0.5 × 1 mm;

appendages white, orbiculate, 0.5–0.8 × 1.3–1.5 mm, erose.

broadly campanulate-turbinate, 0.8–1 × 0.6–0.9 mm, glabrous;

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

horns divergent, 0.4–0.5 mm.

Staminate flowers

20–25.

5–10.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.6–1 mm, 2-fid at apex.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.5–0.7 mm, 2-fid.

Capsules

globose, 2.3–2.8 × 4.3–5.1 mm, glabrous;

columella 2.5–3.2 mm.

depressed-globose, 1.8–2.3 × 2.6–3 mm, 3-lobed;

cocci slightly flattened, without wings, smooth, glabrous;

columella 1.3–1.5 mm.

Seeds

ashy gray, ovoid, 2.9 × 2 mm, with obscure shallow depressions;

caruncle absent.

gray to brown, oblong, 1.3–1.6 × 0.9–1.1 mm, abaxial faces irregularly large-pitted, adaxial faces longitudinally sulcate;

caruncle flat, umbonate, 2-lobed, 0.4 × 0.7 mm.

Cyathia

in terminal dichasia or pleiochasia;

peduncle 2–6 mm (to 20 mm for central cyathium), glabrous.

peduncle 0.3–0.5 mm.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3(–5), 1–3 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts linear, lanceolate, or spatulate, similar in size to distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, rhomboid-lanceolate to ovate, falcate, base rounded to obtuse, margins entire or slightly erose, apex acute;

axillary cymose branches 0–3.

Euphorbia polyphylla

Euphorbia peplidion

Phenology Flowering and fruiting late spring–late fall. Flowering and fruiting late winter–spring.
Habitat Open sand and pine savannas. Dry, sandy areas, open areas with poor soils, roadsides, stream banks.
Elevation 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) 100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia polyphylla is endemic to sandy habitats in the southern half of peninsular Florida. The species has been reported from coastal Louisiana, but whether those plants represent native occurrences or plantings is unclear (R. D. Thomas and C. M. Allen 1993–1998, vol. 2). The Florida populations are here recognized as the only native occurrences.

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

Euphorbia peplidion is native to central and south-central Texas.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 250. FNA vol. 12, p. 306.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum 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. peplus, E. perennans, E. pergamena, E. pinetorum, E. platyphyllos, E. platysperma, E. polycarpa, E. polygonifolia, 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. 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
Synonyms Tithymalopsis polyphylla Tithymalus peplidion
Name authority Engelmann ex Chapman: Fl. South. U.S. ed. 2, repr. 2, 694. (1892) Engelmann: in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 191. (1859)
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