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

Texas 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 or ascending, unbranched or branched, sometimes extensively at crown, 7–20 cm, glabrous.

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.

petiole 0–0.2 mm;

blade oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, 8–15 × 2–5 mm, base usually attenuate, occasionally cuneate, margins crenulate distally, apex rounded to obtuse, bluntly mucronate, surfaces glabrous;

venation pinnate, midvein prominent.

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.

hemispheric, 0.5–0.9 × 0.6–1 mm, glabrous;

glands (4–)5, elongate reniform, 0.1–0.3 × 0.3–0.5 mm;

horns absent.

Staminate flowers

5–10.

5.

Pistillate flowers

ovary glabrous;

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

ovary glabrous;

styles 0.8–1 mm, 2-fid.

Capsules

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

columella (0.9–)1–1.2 mm.

depressed-globose, 1.6–2 × 2.5–3 mm, 3-lobed;

cocci rounded, smooth, glabrous;

columella 1.2–1.5 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.

brownish black, globose-lenticular, 1.4–1.5 × 1.3–1.4 mm, finely reticulate or areolate with distinct line on back;

caruncle low conic, 0.4 × 0.5 mm.

Cyathia

solitary at distal nodes;

peduncle 0.5–1(–2.5) mm.

peduncle 0.3–0.6 mm.

Cyathial

arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 3, each 1–3 times 2-branched;

pleiochasial bracts similar in shape and size to distal leaves;

dichasial bracts distinct, elliptic to ovate, base acute to ± truncate, margins crenate distally, apex obtuse to rounded and mucronate;

axillary cymose branches 1–3.

Euphorbia serpens

Euphorbia texana

Phenology Flowering and fruiting year-round (in warmer areas) or summer (in temperate regions). Flowering and fruiting spring.
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. Open ground, prairies.
Elevation 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 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
LA; TX
[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 texana is related to E. alta and E. spathulata, but differs from both of those species in its smooth capsules. It is endemic to southeastern Texas and adjacent Louisiana.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 286. FNA vol. 12, p. 311.
Parent taxa Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Anisophyllum Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula
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. 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. 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 E. dictyosperma var. leiococca, E. leiococca
Name authority Kunth: in A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 2(fol.): 41; 2(qto.): 52. (1817) Boissier: Cent. Euphorb., 30. (1860)
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