Euphorbia polyphylla |
Euphorbia rosescens |
|
---|---|---|
lesser Florida spurge |
rosy-pink spurge, scrub spurge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, with spreading rootstock. | Herbs, perennial, with thickened rootstock. |
Stems | erect or ascending, branched, solitary, few, or occasionally densely clumped, previous year's dead stems not persistent, 18–33 cm, glabrous. |
erect or ascending, 15–45 cm. |
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 indistinct, blade narrowly elliptic, elliptic, narrowly oblong, or obovate, 25–55 × 5–21 mm, thick and fleshy, base attenuate, apex acute or mucronulate; only midvein evident. |
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. |
obconic to campanulate, 2.4–3.6 × 2.5–3.6 mm, lobes ovate to oblong, 0.7–1 mm, ciliate; glands green to yellow, oblong or trapezoidal, 0.9–1.7 × 1.9–2.5 mm, distal margins crenulate-erose. |
Staminate flowers | 20–25. |
25. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.6–1 mm, 2-fid at apex. |
mature gynophore not seen, styles connate 1/2 length, 3.3–3.6 mm. |
Capsules | globose, 2.3–2.8 × 4.3–5.1 mm, glabrous; columella 2.5–3.2 mm. |
|
Seeds | ashy gray, ovoid, 2.9 × 2 mm, with obscure shallow depressions; caruncle absent. |
not seen. |
Cyathia | in terminal dichasia or pleiochasia; peduncle 2–6 mm (to 20 mm for central cyathium), glabrous. |
peduncle 3.9–6.8 mm. |
Cyathial | arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3, 7–16 cm, 4–7 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts ovate to oblong, 17–31 × 13–14 mm, margins entire, apex acute, often also mucronulate; dichasial bracts ovate or lanceolate, 6–18 × 8–12 mm, margins entire, apex acute, often also mucronate; axillary cymose branches 1–2. |
|
Mature | capsules not seen. |
|
Euphorbia polyphylla |
Euphorbia rosescens |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting late spring–late fall. | Flowering and fruiting spring–summer, rarely fall. |
Habitat | Open sand and pine savannas. | Xeric oak and pine scrub, mostly on white sands, disturbed habitats. |
Elevation | 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) | 20–50 m. (100–200 ft.) |
Distribution |
FL
|
FL |
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 rosescens is a narrow-endemic, gap-specialist known only from the southern portion of the Lake Wales Ridge in Highlands County. Based on leaf characteristics, it appears to be most similar to E. telephioides. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 250. | FNA vol. 12, p. 316. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Nummulariopsis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Tithymalopsis polyphylla | |
Name authority | Engelmann ex Chapman: Fl. South. U.S. ed. 2, repr. 2, 694. (1892) | E. L. Bridges & Orzell: Lundellia 5: 71, fig. 4. (2002) |
Web links |