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Mojave spurge

limestone sandmat

Habit Herbs, perennial, with thick rootstock. Herbs, usually annual, occasionally perennial, with slender to slightly thickened taproot, 3.5 mm diam..
Stems

slender, ascending, often sinuous, many, densely branched near base, 10–50 cm, usually glabrous, usually glaucous.

prostrate to decumbent, loosely mat-forming, often rooting at nodes, 10–45 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

petiole 0–1 mm;

blade broadly oblanceolate to obovate, 10–20 × 3–9 mm, base usually acute, occasionally short-attenuate, rarely obtuse, margins entire, apex usually acute, occasionally obtuse, acuminate to cuspidate, surfaces usually glabrous, usually glaucous;

venation pinnate, sometimes obscure, midvein prominent.

opposite;

stipules distinct, subulate filiform segments (lower side), or connate forming conspicuous, broad deltate scale (upper side), toothed, 0.5–1 mm, glabrous;

petiole 0.7–1 mm, glabrous;

blade ovate to oblong-elliptic, 4–10 × 2–5 mm, base asymmetric, subcordate to rounded, margins usually entire, occasionally toothed, apex usually obtuse to rounded, occasionally acute to apiculate, surfaces without red blotch, glabrous; 3-veined from base, only midvein conspicuous.

Involucre

campanulate to broadly turbinate, 2.2–3 × 2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, irregularly semicircular to trapezoidal or elliptic-truncate, 0.8–1.5 × 1–2.2, margins strongly crenate or dentate;

horns usually absent, if present then straight, 0.1–0.2 mm, generally equaling teeth on gland margin.

turbinate to campanulate, 0.5–0.6 × 0.4–0.6 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, red, slightly concave, elliptic-oblong, 0.1 × 0.1–0.3 mm;

appendages white to pink, unequal, pair near sinus lunate to oblong, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.3 mm, distal margin entire, crenulate, or irregularly sinuate, other pair sometimes rudimentary, 0–0.1 × 0.1–0.3 mm, distal margin crenulate or entire.

Staminate flowers

12–20.

8–12.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 1–1.2 mm, 2-fid.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.3–0.4 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length.

Capsules

oblong-ovoid, 3.5–4 × 3.8–5 mm, 3-lobed;

cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous;

columella 3.3–3.8 mm.

broadly ovoid, 1.2–1.7 × 1.4–1.9 mm, glabrous;

columella 1.2–1.6 mm.

Seeds

gray to whitish, oblong cylindric, 2–3 × 1.5 mm, irregularly shallowly pitted to almost smooth;

caruncle conic, 0.6 × 0.6 mm.

gray to reddish brown, oblong-ovoid, 4-angled in cross section, 0.9–1.1 × 0.5–0.6 mm, flat or obscurely wrinkled.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches (1–)3–4(–5), each 1–3 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts broadly ovate to subcordate, usually similar in size to, occasionally wider than, distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, broadly ovate to almost reniform, base obtuse, margins entire, apex obtuse, acuminate to cuspidate;

axillary cymose branches 0–2(–4).

Cyathia

peduncle 0.3–1 mm.

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

peduncle 0.4–0.6 mm.

Euphorbia schizoloba

Euphorbia blodgettii

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat Desert mountains and canyon slopes, rocky and gravelly soils. Coastal sand dunes and disturbed upland sandy areas.
Elevation 500–1800 m. (1600–5900 ft.) 0–20 m. (0–100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia schizoloba is a desert perennial that occurs on bluffs and ledges in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Sparsely pubescent plants of E. schizoloba are known from Arizona and are best represented by several collections from the Mazatzal and Sierra Ancha mountains in Gila County from between 1000 to 1800 meters. George Engelmann published two names for this species almost simultaneously in 1861 (E. schizoloba and E. incisa). Although the authors have not been able to determine which publication has priority, Engelmann himself cited E. incisa as a synonym of E. schizoloba (in W. H. Brewer et al. 1876–1880, vol. 2), as did J. B. S. Norton (1899). Also, the type specimen at MO was annotated by Engelmann as E. schizoloba, and there is no mention of the name E. incisa on the sheet.

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

Euphorbia blodgettii is found only in peninsular Florida. It is closely related to E. garberi, E. porteriana, and E. serpens (Y. Yang and P. E. Berry 2011).

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 309. FNA vol. 12, p. 261.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula 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. prostrata, E. pubentissima, E. purpurea, E. radians, E. rayturneri, E. revoluta, E. roemeriana, E. rosescens, 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. 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 E. incisa, Tithymalus incisus, T. schizolobus Chamaesyce blodgettii, C. nashii
Name authority Engelmann: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 5: 173. (1861) Engelmann ex Hitchcock: Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 4: 126, plate 13. (1893)
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