Description ²

Plants robust, ascending to erect annuals, glabrous, may attain a height of over 30 cm tall, not typically branching much at the base. Stems glabrous; largest internodes may get up to 3 mm in diameter. Stipules fused on both sides of the stem except near the apex where they separate, usually entire, spreading away from the stem. Leaves oblong-lanceolate and usually slightly crescent shaped; most leaves 1.5-2 cm long and longer. Cyathia about 1 mm across. Appendages mostly entire. Styles long and slender. Fruits glabrous. Seeds smooth or lightly wrinkled; mostly tannish or brown in color.

Habitat and Distribution ²

On the Llano, known only from a photo of a plant growing as a weed in a garden in Lubbock posted on Facebook (reposted on iNaturalist with permission here: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2441223). It will probably show up in other towns across the Llano. As with E. hyssopifolia, this species was probably introduced to the region with potted plants.

Comments ²

Many people have confused E. hypericifolia, E. hyssopifolia, and E. nutans. Euphorbia nutans has not been observed on the Llano yet. Euphorbia hypericifolia has been observed once in Lubbock. All three species can be distinguished using the following characters:

Euphorbia hypericifolia: Stems always glabrous; stipules longer than 1 mm spreading away from the stem; cyathia in dense leafless inflorescences (a single solitary cyathium is usually present at the node before the nodes holding the dense inflorescences).
Euphorbia hyssopifolia: Stems glabrous or with pilose hairs; stipules shorter than 1 mm erect; cyathia solitary, at most in dense leafy inflorescences.
Euphorbia nutans: Stems always with some short crinkled hairs; stipules shorter than 1 mm erect; cyathia solitary, at most in dense leafy inflorescences.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Nathan Taylor, all rights reserved, uploaded by Nathan Taylor
2. (c) Nathan Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• African Plants - a photo guide
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• Catalogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
• eFloras.org
• Flora Digital de Portugal
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• World Flora Online

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