This guide is designed to aid in the identification of the sandmats (also known as ground spurges or various other spurges) on the Llano Estacado. These spurges can be easily distinguished from other species of Euphorbia by their opposite leaves, distinctive stipules, and generally being ...more ↓
This guide is designed to aid in the identification of the sandmats (also known as ground spurges or various other spurges) on the Llano Estacado. These spurges can be easily distinguished from other species of Euphorbia by their opposite leaves, distinctive stipules, and generally being prostrate. These are also the only Euphorbias that have C4 photosynthesis and the corresponding Kranz anatomy (intricate pattern of darker bundle-sheath cells surrounding veins with lighter areas in between). Another character that is unique to the sandmats is the sided nature of their stems. Even on the species that are nearly erect, there is a distinguishable upper and lower side to the stems. The leaves are usually unequal at the base.
SRSC = Sul Ross State University Herbarium
Doubtful species:
Euphorbia parryi: See the comments section of E. missurica for details.
Euphorbia revoluta: Only one unconfirmed report on the Llano.
Euphorbia serpyllifolia: Very similar to E. glyptosperma; only a few reports, one resolved as a misidentification.
References:
Turner, B. L., H. Nichols, G. Denny, O. Doron. 2003. Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Texas (Vol. I). BRIT Press, Fort Worth.
The Biota of North America Program [BONAP]. 2013. BONAP's North American Plant Atlas: Euphorbia: http://bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Euphorbia
Consortium of Intermountain Herbaria. n.d. Intermountain Region Herbarium Network: http://www.intermountainbiota.org/portal/index.php
Correll, D. S., and M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas. Texas Research Foundation, Renner, Texas, U.S.A.
Institute for Systematic Botany. 2014. Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants: http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Default.aspx
Harms, B. n.d. Chamaesyce in the Lower Panhandle of Texas: http://w3.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/CHAMA-D/CHAMA.html
Jercinovic, E. 2007. The status of the genus Chamaesyce in New Mexico. The New Mexico Botanist Newslett. 40:1–14. http://newmexicoflores.com/2012ChamaesyceNM.pdf
Wheeler, L.C. 1941. Euphorbia subgenus Chamaesyce in Canada and the United States exclusive of southern Florida. Rhodora 43:97–154, 168–205, 223–286.
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Sandmats (Euphorbia sect. Anisophyllum, previously Chamaesyce) of the Llano Estacado
