The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

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
from FNA
CA; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, s Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
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
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. 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. 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 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)
Web links