EUPHORBIA PROSTRATA

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

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Anisophyllum prostratum, Aplarina prostrata,

Chamaesyce prostrata, Tithymalus prostratus.

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

Prostrata (L) Lying flat on the ground, but not rooting.

General description:- Procumbent annual.

Stems:-

1) To 35 cm. with up to 10 branches, generally red and pilose above green and

glabrous below.

Leaves:-

1) 6.5-9 x 4-6 mm, ovate, obtuse, asymmetrical at the base, margins, serrulate to

subentire, pubescent to glabrescent on both surfaces.

2) Petiole, c. 1 mm.

3) Stipules, c. 1 mm, triangular, upper free, lower often connate.

Flowers:-

1) Glands, transversely ovate, with small appendages.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 1·5 x 1·5 mm, shallowly sulcate, sharply keeled, smooth, glabrous

except for the ciliate keels.

2) Seeds, 1 x 0.4-0.7 mm, ovoid-quadrangular, deeply transversely sulcate, greyish.

rugulose when ripe.

Key features:-

1) Ripe seeds, rugulose.

2) Capsule, hairy on the keels only.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Sandy sea-shores, gravelly road verges, ruderal habitats, rarely inland. 0-

400 m.

Distribution:- Fairly common in S & W Greece rare in the north - Native of North

America. naturalised in the Mediterranean region and elsewhere. Rare on Crete,

currently known from a few areas along the north coast.

Flowering time:- Mainly Sept-Oct occasionally earlier.

Photos by:- Charalambos Chiotelis