Euphorbia myrsinites

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 461. 1753.

Common names: Myrtle or creeping or blue spurge donkey tail
WeedyIntroduced
Synonyms: Tithymalus myrsinites (Linnaeus) Hill
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 305. Mentioned on page 294, 295, 296.

Herbs, usually perennial, occasionally biennial, with taproot. Stems erect or semiprostrate, unbranched or branched, 15–40 cm, succulent, glabrous. Leaves: petiole 0–2 mm; blade obovate, obovate-oblong, lanceolate, orbiculate, or suborbiculate, 2–30 × 3–17 mm, fleshy, base truncate or attenuate, margins entire or finely denticulate, apex acute to obtuse, cuspidate or strongly mucronate, surfaces glabrous; venation and midvein inconspicuous. Cyathial arrangement: terminal pleiochasial branches 2–12, each 1–2 times 2-branched; pleiochasial bracts similar in shape and size to distal leaves; dichasial bracts distinct, suborbiculate or reniform, base truncate, margins entire or minutely denticulate, apex obtuse, mucronulate; axillary cymose branches 0–4. Cyathia: peduncle 0.5–1 mm. Involucre campanulate, 2.4–2.6 × 2.3–2.5 mm, glabrous; glands 4, trapezoidal, 1–1.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm; horns divergent, thick, tips rounded, dilated, 0.5–0.9 mm. Staminate flowers 6–12. Pistillate flowers: ovary glabrous; styles 2.5–2.8 mm, usually unbranched. Capsules subglobose, 5–7 × 5–6 mm, unlobed; cocci rounded to subangular, smooth, glabrous; columella 4.5–5 mm. Seeds brownish to grayish, oblong, 2.8–4.5 × 2–3.2 mm, vermiculate-rugose; caruncle substipitate, trapezoidal or mushroom-shaped, 1.3–1.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm.


Phenology: Flowering and fruiting spring–summer.
Habitat: Scrub oak communities, open ground near forests, shrub-steppes.
Elevation: 0–2400 m.

Distribution

V12 97-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; B.C., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo., s Europe, w Asia.

Discussion

Euphorbia myrsinites is cultivated in much of the flora area, where it can tolerate cold winters. In some areas, it can locally escape from cultivation.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Euphorbia myrsinites"
Ricarda Riina +, Dmitry V. Geltman +, Jess A. Peirson +  and Paul E. Berry +
Linnaeus +
Myrtle or creeping or blue spurge +  and donkey tail +
B.C. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, N.Mex. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +, Wyo. +, s Europe +  and w Asia. +
0–2400 m. +
Scrub oak communities, open ground near forests, shrub-steppes. +
Flowering and fruiting spring–summer. +
Weedy +  and Introduced +
Tithymalus myrsinites +
Euphorbia myrsinites +
Euphorbia subg. Esula +
species +