Euphorbia polyphylla |
Euphorbia wrightii |
|
---|---|---|
lesser Florida spurge |
Wright's spurge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, with spreading rootstock. | Herbs, perennial with cylindric rootstock or elongated tubers. |
Stems | erect or ascending, branched, solitary, few, or occasionally densely clumped, previous year's dead stems not persistent, 18–33 cm, glabrous. |
erect, branched, densely clumped, previous year’s dead stems often persistent, 20–50 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. |
alternate, persisting, spreading or ascending; stipules 0.1–0.3 mm; petiole absent; blade linear to linear-filiform, (17–)20–40 × 1–2.5 mm, base cuneate, slightly sheathing stem, margins entire, apex broadly acute to rounded, abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely villous, adaxial surface glabrous; venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous on wider leaves. |
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. |
campanulate, 1.5–2 × 1.8–2.5 mm, pilose; glands 5, green, broadly elliptic, 0.7–0.8 × 1 mm; appendages white to pink, orbiculate, 0.5–1 × 1.3–1.8 mm, coarsely erose. |
Staminate flowers | 20–25. |
20–25. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 0.6–1 mm, 2-fid at apex. |
ovary strigose to tomentose; styles 1 mm, 2-fid at apex. |
Capsules | globose, 2.3–2.8 × 4.3–5.1 mm, glabrous; columella 2.5–3.2 mm. |
depressed-globose, 1 locule usually aborting, 2.5(–3) × 2.7–3.3(–5) mm, sparsely tomentose; columella 2.6–3 mm. |
Seeds | ashy gray, ovoid, 2.9 × 2 mm, with obscure shallow depressions; caruncle absent. |
gray-green to gray-brown, globose-ovoid, 2.2–2.9 × 1.8–2 mm, shallowly and obscurely pitted; caruncle absent. |
Cyathia | in terminal dichasia or pleiochasia; peduncle 2–6 mm (to 20 mm for central cyathium), glabrous. |
usually in terminal dichasia, rarely pleiochasia; peduncle (3–)5–15 mm, all peduncles and cyathia persistent on plant, glabrous. |
Euphorbia polyphylla |
Euphorbia wrightii |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting late spring–late fall. | Flowering and fruiting spring–fall. |
Habitat | Open sand and pine savannas. | Open grasslands and uplands, often on limestone outcrops. |
Elevation | 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) | 500–1000 m. (1600–3300 ft.) |
Distribution |
FL
|
TX; Mexico (Coahuila) |
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.) |
Within the flora area, Euphorbia wrightii is endemic to the western Edwards Plateau and adjacent rolling plains in western Texas. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 250. | FNA vol. 12, p. 251. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Tithymalopsis polyphylla | |
Name authority | Engelmann ex Chapman: Fl. South. U.S. ed. 2, repr. 2, 694. (1892) | Torrey & A. Gray: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 2(4): 174. (1857) |
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