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Spotted Sandmat

Euphorbia maculata L.

Description

provided by eFloras
Herbs, annual, 10-17 cm tall. Root fibrous, ca. 2 mm thick. Stems many from base, prostrate, ca. 1 mm thick, sparsely white pilose. Leaves opposite; stipules forming prickles, ciliate; petiole ca. 1 mm; leaf blade long elliptic to reniform-oblong, 6-12(-30) × 2-4(-13) mm, adaxially green, often with an oblong purple spot in middle, abaxially light green or gray-green, purple spot easily seen when fresh, invisible when dry, both surfaces glabrous, base obliquely slightly attenuate-rounded, margin entire below middle, finely serrulate above, apex obtuse. Cyathia from nodes, peduncle 1-2 mm; involucre narrowly cuplike, 0.7-1 × ca. 0.5 mm, white pubescent outside, marginal lobes 5, triangular-rounded; glands 4, yellow-green, transversely elliptic, appendages white. Male flowers 4 or 5, slightly exserted. Female flower exserted from involucre; ovary pilose; styles short, con-nate at base; stigma 2-lobed. Capsule 3-angular-ovoid, ca. 2 × 2 mm, smooth, sparsely pilose. Seeds ovoid-tetragonal, ca. 1 × 0.7 mm, gray or gray-brown, each side with 5 transverse furrows; caruncle absent. Fl. and fr. Apr-Sep.
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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of China Vol. 11: 290, 296 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of China @ eFloras.org
editor
Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan
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eFloras.org
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Habitat & Distribution

provided by eFloras
Grasslands, roadsides, naturalized. Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Taiwan, Zhejiang [Asia, Europe, North America].
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of China Vol. 11: 290, 296 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of China @ eFloras.org
editor
Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Synonym

provided by eFloras
Chamaesyce maculata (Linnaeus) Small; Euphorbia supina Rafinesque.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
copyright
Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
bibliographic citation
Flora of China Vol. 11: 290, 296 in eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden. Accessed Nov 12, 2008.
source
Flora of China @ eFloras.org
editor
Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven & Hong Deyuan
project
eFloras.org
original
visit source
partner site
eFloras

Euphorbia maculata

provided by wikipedia EN

Euphorbia maculata, known as spotted spurge, prostrate spurge (not to be confused with Euphorbia prostrata), milk purslane, or spotted sandmat, is a fast-growing annual plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. While it is native to North America, where it is a common garden and lawn weed in the United States, it has become a common introduced species throughout the world, including Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.[2]

Prostrate spurge growing on disturbed soil

It grows in sunny locations and a variety of soils, and functions as a pioneer species in ecological succession. The sap of this plant is a mild skin irritant and can cause a rash in some people. The sap is poisonous and considered carcinogenic.[3][4]

Description

Euphorbia maculata is typically prostrate, with specimens rarely reaching up as high as 30 centimetres (12 in). The stems spread out in a mat along the ground with each stem rarely greater than 45 centimetres (18 in) long. The leaves are oval but rather elongate, up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long, and arranged in opposite pairs. The cyathia, bisexual reproductive structures unique to plants in the genus, are very small, with four white petal-like appendages that are sometimes pink.

The leaves are often marked with a reddish spot in the center, a feature that led to the common name of spotted spurge. It is similar to Euphorbia prostrata, but that species has shorter leaves that are more rounded at the tips. It may occasionally be confused with Euphorbia serpens but the very short and rounded leaves of E. serpens in combination with the larger (but still inconspicuous) cyathia should remove any potential for confusion.

References

  1. ^ "Euphorbia maculata L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Euphorbia maculata". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  3. ^ Candice Miller. "Plants That Cause Skin Irritation" (PDF). University of Illinois Extension. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
  4. ^ "Prostrate spurge". CSU/Denver County Extension. Retrieved September 18, 2014.

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Euphorbia maculata: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Euphorbia maculata, known as spotted spurge, prostrate spurge (not to be confused with Euphorbia prostrata), milk purslane, or spotted sandmat, is a fast-growing annual plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. While it is native to North America, where it is a common garden and lawn weed in the United States, it has become a common introduced species throughout the world, including Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

Prostrate spurge growing on disturbed soil

It grows in sunny locations and a variety of soils, and functions as a pioneer species in ecological succession. The sap of this plant is a mild skin irritant and can cause a rash in some people. The sap is poisonous and considered carcinogenic.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN