EUPHORBIA NUTANS

Family and Genus:- See- EUPHORBIACEAE/ Subgen. CHAMAESYCE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Chamaesyce nutans

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

Nutans (L) Drooping, nodding.

General description:- Procumbent to ascending annual

Stems:-

1) Pubescent, above when young, otherwise nearly glabrous.

Leaves:-

1) 10-30(-36) x 5-10(-14) mm, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, subacute or acute,

asymmetrical at the base, margins serrate, occasionally sparsely pubescent

above, glabrous beneath.

2) Petiole, 1-2 mm.

3) Stipules, 0·5 mm, triangular, connate or free.

Flowers:-

1) Glands, transversely ovate, yellow, with small, pale pink appendages.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 1·8-2 x 2 mm, rather deeply sulcate. smooth, glabrous.

2) Seeds, 1 mm, ovoid-quadrangular, somewhat irregularly transversely rugulose

blackish.

Key features:-

1) Capsule, glabrous.

2) Leaves, 10-30(-36) mm, serrate.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Probably on gravelly road verges and in ruderal habitats. 050 m.

Distribution:- In Greece known only from Rhodes and Crete. Native to North

America, locally naturalised in S Europe. Rare on Crete currently known from only

two locations, near Malia and Sitia

Flowering time:- June-Oct.

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons