Flora of North America species comparison

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Euphorbia serpens

Euphorbia hexagona

creeping spurge, Matted sandmat, Matted spurge, round-leafed spurge

six-angle spurge
Habit Herbs, annual, with slender taproot. Herbs, annual, with taproot.
Stems

prostrate, frequently mat-forming and rooting at nodes, 15–50 cm, glabrous.

erect, unbranched or branched, 30–70(–100) cm, sparsely hispid, occasionally densely so at distal nodes.
Leaves

opposite;

stipules connate into conspicuous, deltate scale, white to pink, membranaceous, 0.5–1(–1.2) mm, glabrous;

petiole less than 1 mm, glabrous;

blade ovate, oblong or orbiculate, 2–7(–9) × 2–6 mm, base asymmetric, rounded to subcordate, margins entire, apex rounded, surfaces without red blotch, glabrous; usually only midvein conspicuous.

opposite;

stipules (0–)0.1 mm;

petiole 1–4 mm, pilose;

blade linear-filiform, linear, or elliptic, 21–40 × 0.9–7.5 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex acute, abaxial surface sparsely hispidulous to strigillose, adaxial surface glabrous;

venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous.
Involucre

campanulate to turbinate, 0.3–0.7(–1) × 0.4–0.6 mm, glabrous;

glands 4, yellow, oblong, 0.1 × 0.2 mm;

appendages white to pinkish, equal, forming narrow rim at edge of gland, 0.1–0.2 × 0.2–0.3 mm, distal margin entire or crenulate.

campanulate, 1–1.5 × (1–)1.5–1.8 mm, hispid;

glands 5, green to deep red, elliptic to reniform, 0.5 × 0.8–1 mm;

appendages white to green, tinged red, deltate to ovate, 0.7–1.7 × (0.9–)1.3–1.5 mm, entire.
Staminate flowers

5–10.

15–30(–40).
Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.2 mm, 2-fid 1/2 to nearly entire length.

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.7–1.1 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length.
Capsules

broadly ovoid, oblate, or subglobose, 1.3–1.4 × 1.3–1.7 mm, glabrous;

columella (0.9–)1–1.2 mm.

subglobose to broadly ovoid, 4.7–6.5 × 4.9–6.5(–7.1) mm, glabrous;

columella 3.5–4.5 mm.
Seeds

white to gray or light pink, ovoid, bluntly 3–4-angled in cross section, 0.7–1.1 × 0.4–0.7 mm, smooth.

dark brown or dark gray, ovoid, 3.4 × 2.7 mm, rugose, whitish glaucous;

caruncle absent.
Cyathia

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.5–1(–2.5) mm.

solitary in leaf axils or in terminal cymes or dichasia;

peduncle 1–2.1 mm, strigillose.

Euphorbia serpens

Euphorbia hexagona
Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round (in warmer areas) or summer (in temperate regions). Flowering and fruiting late summer–fall.
Habitat Mostly sandy or well-drained soils, desert scrub, coastal scrub, chaparral, oak and juniper woodlands, sand dunes, riparian forests, mesquite grasslands, prairies, coniferous and deciduous hardwood forests, disturbed areas. Sand prairies, other sandy soil habitats, stream banks, sand bars, damp places.
Elevation 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.) 200–1300 m. (700–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MI; MO; MS; MT; ND; NE; NJ; NM; OH; OK; PA; SD; TN; TX; UT; VT; WY; ON; SK; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Bermuda [Introduced in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; CO; IA; IL; KS; MN; MO; MT; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WI; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Euphorbia serpens is one of the most widespread species of the genus in the New World. While it may be indigenous to a portion of the flora area, probably in the warmer, southern part of its range, it is weedy and has likely been introduced in many parts of the flora area, such as Canada and the eastern United States. It is also widely distributed in the Old World, where it is certainly introduced. The strictly prostrate habit with stems rooting at the nodes is characteristic. Euphorbia serpens is often confused with E. albomarginata, a species distributed in the southwestern United States; in addition to the features mentioned in the key, an easy and reliable way to distinguish between them is by the size of the involucral gland appendages: those of E. albomarginata are conspicuous to the naked eye, whereas those of E. serpens are inconspicuous.

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

Euphorbia hexagona is native to the central United States and is most common from southern South Dakota to Oklahoma and northern Texas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 12, p. 286. FNA vol. 12, p. 247.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum
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. schizoloba, 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. 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 serpens
Name authority Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 2(fol.): 41; 2(qto.): 52. (1817) Nuttall ex Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 791. (1826)
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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