Euphorbia peplus L.
petty spurge
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
petty spurge
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Annual herb from a fibrous root; stems erect, freely branched, glabrous, 10-30 cm tall.
Leaves:
Lower stem leaves alternate, egg-shaped, blade 1-3 cm long, stalks 3-10 mm long; upper floral leaves opposite, short-stalked, broadly egg-shaped, 1-2.5 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of several-rayed umbrella-shaped clusters; involucres 1-1.5 mm long; glands 4, with long, slender horns.
Fruits:
Capsules, glabrous, 2.5 mm long; seeds 1-1.5 mm long, grey, oblong, pitted.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Disturbed sites and waste places in the lowland and steppe zones; locally frequent on SE Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, rare in the lower Fraser Valley and SC BC; introduced from Eurasia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Galarhoeus peplus (L.) Rydb.
Tithymalus peplus (L.) Hill