Scientific Family
Euphorbiaceae
Synonyms
Euphorbia florida
Other common names
Chiricahua Mountain Sandmat
spurge
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
4 to 24 inches
Riparian
Yes
Erect, smooth annual; petal-like appendages white or pink; stems branched from near base; slender branches green or faintly tinged red; stem length between leaves (internodes) 1/2 to 2 inches or occasionally to 2-3/4 inches.
Leaves narrow, opposite, to 2-1/2 inches long, bases symmetrical, margins serrated towards tips, stipules obvious; numerous male flowers in the cup structure holding male and female flowers; ovary and capsule round, hairless; petal-like appendages white.
Habitat
Sandy flats, gravelly washes, rocky hillsides, talus slopes (mass of rock debris at the base of a cliff), desert scrub and grasslands, mesquite woodlands, rarely oak woodlands. One collection in riparian woodland in Yavapai county.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
5000
Flower Characteristics
Flower clusters of cup-like structures enclose a single female flower and several male flowers (cyathia); showy, white petal-like appendages, becoming pink with age; bell-shaped base of bracts support flower heads; dense, white, hairs around inner rim.
Flower color
White to pink (with age)
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
August
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
Rounded
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves narrow, opposite, about 2 inches long with prominent midvein; remotely serrulate (minute, sharp, forward-pointing teeth); edges turn under with age; on short stalks. Leaves and stems have white milky sap.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Capsule rounded-triangular in cross-section; egg to ball-shaped and attached at wider end; 1/8 inch diameter; smooth, green when young.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Mature white or whitish
Seeds light gray to light brown; oval-shaped; slightly 4-angled in cross-section, slightly winged along the angles; the sides smooth but with 2 or 3 well-developed transverse ridges (at a right angle to the length of structure).