Euphorbia terracina |
Euphorbia innocua |
|
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carnation spurge, Geraldton carnation weed, terracina spurge |
velvet spurge |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial or biennial, with taproot. | Herbs, perennial, with moderately to strongly thickened rootstock. |
Stems | erect, unbranched or branched, 10–100 cm, glabrous. |
prostrate to decumbent or ascending, branched (often near base), 7–45 cm, densely pilose. |
Leaves | petiole absent; blade linear, linear-lanceolate, oblong-elliptic, or obovate, 4–50 × 2–10 mm, base obtuse or truncate, margins finely serrulate, apex acute, obtuse, or truncate, sometimes mucronulate, surfaces glabrous; venation inconspicuous, only midvein prominent. |
alternate; stipules to 0.1 mm; petiole (0.7–)1.1–3.5 mm, pilose; blade ovate to orbiculate, 4.6–17(–25) × 4.5–15(–19) mm, base cordate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces densely pilose; venation obscure, usually only midvein conspicuous. |
Involucre | cupulate to slightly turbinate, 1.1–2 × 1.3–1.5 mm, glabrous or puberulent; glands 4, elliptic to trapezoidal, 0.6–0.8 × 1–2 mm; horns slightly convergent to divergent, 1–2 mm. |
campanulate, 1–1.3 × 1.2–1.4 mm, pilose; glands 4, yellow to green, elliptic, 0.2–0.3 × 0.5–0.6 mm; appendages green, elliptic, 0.4–0.5 × 0.5–0.9 mm, entire or crenulate, ciliate. |
Staminate flowers | 15–20. |
5–10. |
Pistillate flowers | ovary glabrous; styles 1–1.8 mm, 2-fid. |
ovary pilose; styles 0.4–0.7 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length. |
Capsules | depressed-globose, 2.5–3 × 3–4.5 mm, deeply 3-lobed; cocci rounded to subangular, smooth, glabrous; columella 1.9–2.3 mm. |
depressed-ovoid, 2–2.5 × 2.7–3.3 mm, pilose; columella 1.6–2.1 mm. |
Seeds | pale gray, subovoid, 1.6–2.4 × 1.3–1.8 mm, smooth; caruncle boat-shaped, 0.4–0.6 × 0.4–0.6 mm. |
gray to brown, ovoid, 1.5–1.7 × 1.2–1.3 mm, rugose with whitish ridges; caruncle absent. |
Cyathial | arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 2–5, each 1–5 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts lanceolate, elliptic or ovate, similar in size to distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, ovate to subreniform, base cuneate to cordate, margins finely serrulate, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded, sometimes mucronulate or cuspidate; axillary cymose branches 0–7. |
|
Cyathia | peduncle 1–3 mm. |
in terminal dichasia (often weakly defined); peduncle 1–2.7 mm, densely pilose. |
Euphorbia terracina |
Euphorbia innocua |
|
Phenology | Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. | Flowering and fruiting early winter–late spring. |
Habitat | Edges of cultivated fields and woodlands, roadsides, waste areas, pastures, coastal bluffs, dunes, riparian areas. | Sandy soils or dunes, grasslands, pastures. |
Elevation | 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) | 0–20 m. (0–100 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, s Africa, Australia]
|
TX |
Discussion | Euphorbia terracina is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe. This species is invasive and spreading rapidly, displacing native coastal scrub in southern California, and has been listed as a noxious weed by that state. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Euphorbia innocua is restricted to south coastal Texas in Aransas, Calhoun, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, and Willacy counties. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 310. | FNA vol. 12, p. 247. |
Parent taxa | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > subg. Esula | Euphorbiaceae > Euphorbia > sect. Alectoroctonum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Tithymalus terracinus | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 654. (1762) | L. C. Wheeler: Contr. Gray Herb. 127: 62, plate 3, fig. D. (1939) |
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