Euphorbia esula L.
leafy spurge
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
leafy spurge
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a heavy rhizome; stems erect, simple below but freely branching and umbrella-shaped above, glabrous to sparsely hairy above, with milky juice, 20-90 cm tall.
Leaves:
Stem leaves alternate, oblong to linear-oblanceolate, entire, glabrous, 2-6 cm long, 3-8 mm wide, lowest leaves almost unstalked; floral leaves in pairs, widely oval to heart-shaped, 12-16 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of many-rayed umbrella-shaped clusters; floral bracts cup-shaped, green; involucres 2-3 mm long; glands 4, brownish-green with short horns.
Fruits:
Capsules, inconspicuously warty to nearly glabrous; seeds 1.5-2 mm long, brownish, glabrous.
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
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Euphorbia esula
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
809 | 296 | 1035 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
24 | 0 | 65 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
210 | 180 | 260 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
3 | 1 | 5 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
D | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
4 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(1), IDF(3) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Dry roadsides, fields and waste places in the steppe and montane zones; frequent in SC BC, less frequent in SE BC; introduced from Eurasia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Euphorbia virgata