Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

WARTY SPURGE

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Euphorbia spathulata Lam.

Anderson County, Kansas

Usually annual, rarely biennial

Height: 4-28 inches

Family: Euphorbiaceae - Spurge Family

Flowering Period: May, June, July, August, September

Stems:

Ascending to erect, simple or branched, glabrous.

Leaves:

Alternate; stipules absent; petiole absent; blade oblanceolate to oblong or spatulate, 1/3 to 2 inches long, 1/4 to 2/5 inch wide, base symmetric, subcordate to rounded or attenuate, sometimes clasping, margins minutely toothed, tip rounded to obtuse or retuse, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences:

Cup-shaped receptacles (cyathia), terminal, peduncle less than 1/25 inch.

Flowers:

Involucres bell-shaped, less than 1/20 inch, glabrous; glands 4 to 5, greenish, elliptic to obong or reniform; appendage absent. Flowers unisexual. Staminate flowers 3-10, sepals 0; petals 0; stamen 1. Pistillate flower 1: sepals 0; petals 0; ovary glabrous; styles two-cleft for 1/2--1/4 their lengths.

Fruits:

Capsules depressed-globose, 3-lobed, 1/12 to 1/8 inch, glabrous, warty near apex and along lobes; seeds reddish brown to dark purple, ovoid to globose, .05 to .09 inch, smooth to reticulate or ridged.

Habitat:

Rocky or sandy tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies.

Distribution:

Principally east 4/5 but also scattered occurrence in west of Kansas.

Origin:

Native

Comments:

The plants have a milky sap. For Euphorbus, 1st century Greek physcian. Euphorbia is among the largest genera of flowering plants. 23 species have been documented in Kansas.

Warty spurge