Flora of North America species comparison

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Euphorbia prostrata

Euphorbia astyla

blue weed, ground spurge, prostrate sandmat, prostrate spurge or sandmat

alkali spurge, Pecos spurge
Habit Herbs, annual, with taproot. Herbs, perennial, with woody or fibrous-fleshy taproot, 5–12 mm thick.
Stems

prostrate to decumbent, usually not mat-forming, 10–30 cm, crisped-villous to glabrate (proximally).

decumbent, ascending, or erect, few to many emerging from woody crown, 5–25(–50) cm, glabrous.
Leaves

opposite;

stipules connate (lower side) or distinct (upper side), triangular-subulate, often lacerate distally, 0.5–1 mm, short crisped-villous to glabrate;

petiole 0.5–1.5 mm, usually short crisped-villous, sometimes wooly at distal nodes;

blade broadly elliptic to elliptic-oblong, ovate-spatulate, or ovate, 3–11(–15) × 3–6(–8) mm, base slightly asymmetric, rounded to slightly cordate and oblique, margins serrulate at least in distal 1/2, sometimes obscurely so, apex obtuse, abaxial surface finely crisped-villous, adaxial surface usually glabrous or glabrate, sometimes sparsely crisped-villous; 3-veined from base.

opposite;

stipules connate into deltate scale, 0.2–0.5 mm, minutely lacerate at apex, glabrous;

petiole 0–0.2(–0.3) mm, glabrous;

blade orbiculate-reniform to acute-cordate, 2–5(–8) × 2–5(–6) mm, base ± asymmetric, cordate to auriculate, sometimes clasping stem, margins entire, apex narrowly acute, surfaces glabrous; 2- or 3-veined from base, but usually only midvein conspicuous.
Involucre

obconic, 0.6–0.9 × 0.5 mm, crisped-villous or glabrous;

glands 4, reddish, oval to oblong, 0.1 × 0.1–0.2 mm;

appendages white to pink, rudimentary, 0–0.2 mm, distal margin entire or irregularly scalloped.

broadly campanulate, 0.8–1.4 × 0.9–1.4 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, yellow-green to brownish, oblong, 0.2–0.3 × 0.5–0.7 mm;

appendages white, flabellate to oblong, 0.1–0.2(–0.5) × 0.4–0.8 mm, distal margin entire or dentate-crenate.
Staminate flowers

3–6.

22–26.
Pistillate flowers

ovary densely crisped-villous;

styles 0.1 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.3–0.4 mm, unbranched, thickened-clavate.
Capsules

broadly ovoid, 1.2–2 × 1.4–1.5 mm, crisped-villous along keels and toward base, often glabrous between keels;

columella 1–1.2 mm.

ovoid and broadly triangular, 1.5–1.9(–2.5) × 1.4–1.6(–2.2) mm, glabrous;

columella 1.2–1.8 mm.
Seeds

white but with barely concealed brown surface beneath, ovoid, sharply 4-angled in cross section, abaxial faces plane to convex, adaxial faces concave, 0.8–1.1 × 0.5–0.7 mm, with several narrow, sharp, slightly irregular, transverse ridges.

white, oblong, 4-angled in cross section, adaxial faces slightly concave, with long raphe between, 1.5–1.8 × 0.7–1 mm, markedly foveolate, with irregular to ± parallel or anastomosing ridges.
Cyathia

solitary or in small, cymose clusters at distal nodes or on congested, axillary branches;

peduncle 1–2 mm.

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.3–1(–1.5) mm.
2n

= 18.

= 28.

Euphorbia prostrata

Euphorbia astyla
Phenology Flowering and fruiting early spring–fall. Flowering and fruiting late spring–early fall.
Habitat Disturbed areas, fields, gardens, sidewalks, sandy places, ballast piles. Desert, grasslands, limestone substrates, usually on very saline or alkaline soils.
Elevation 0–1400 m. (0–4600 ft.) 700–1100 m. (2300–3600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NM; OH; OK; PA; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; WV; WY; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies [Introduced in Eurasia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia prostrata is native to tropical America and possibly into the southern part of the flora area. It is likely adventive throughout most of the northern part of its range. It is widely naturalized throughout much of the rest of the tropics.

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

Euphorbia astyla is a specialist on halophytic, alkaline soils and is known in the flora area only in part of Pecos County. The species is closely related to E. jejuna but differs in its sessile or sub-sessile leaves with a cordate-auriculate base and involucral gland appendages that are not deeply lobed or cleft.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 285. FNA vol. 12, p. 261.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum
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. polyphylla, E. porteriana, 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. 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. trichotoma, E. vallis-mortae, E. velleriflora, E. vermiculata, E. villifera, E. virgata, E. wrightii, E. yaquiana
Synonyms Chamaesyce prostrata Chamaesyce astyla
Name authority Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 139. (1789) Engelmann ex Boissier: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 40. (1862)
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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