EUPHORBIA SERPENS

Family and Genus:- See- EUPHORBIACEAE/ Sect. PARALIAS

Common Names:- Small spurge

Homotypic Synonyms:- Anisophyllum serpens, Chamaesyce serpens.

Meaning:- Euphorbia (L) For Euphorbus, physician to the King of Mauritania.

Serpens (L) Creeping.

General description:- Glabrous annual.

Stems:-

1) Up to 35 cm, rarely perennating, simple or branched from the base, with (0-)4-5

axillary rays.

Leaves:-

1) 10-30(-60) x 1-3 mm, linear to linear-lanceolate, entire.

2) Ray-leaves, elliptic-oblong.

3) Raylet-leaves, deltate-rhombic, obtuse; base cuneate to subcordate.

2) Stipules, often connate.

Flowers:-

1) Rays, 5(-6), up to 5 times dichotomous.

2) Glands, emarginate or with 2, rarely 4, horns.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 2·5-3 x 3-3·5 mm, deeply sulcate, granulate-rugulose on the keels.

2) Seeds, 1·5-2 mm, more or less quadrangular, distinctly pitted, pale grey.

Key features:-

1) Raylet-leaves, rhombic-deltate to transversely ovate.

2) Seeds, distinctly pitted.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Irrigated gardens, lawns, roadsides an ruderal habitats. 0-20 m.

Distribution:- Native of America, and occurs frequently as a casual in S. France,

Spain and Greece, where it is perhaps locally naturalized. On Crete a weed of

cultivated and fallow land. Introduced. Probable seiously under recorded.

Flowering time:- June-Sept.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton