Euphorbia curtisii
| Euphorbia curtisii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Photo by John R. Gwaltney, Southeastern Flora.com | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Order: | Euphorbiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Euphorbia |
| Species: | E. curtisii |
| Binomial name | |
| Euphorbia curtisii Engelm. | |
| |
| Natural range of Euphorbia curtisii from USDA NRCS Plants Database. | |
Common name: Curtis' spurge
Contents
Taxonomic notes
Synonyms: Tithymalopsis curtisii (Engelmann) Small; Tithymalopsis eriogonoides Small.[1]
Varieties: none.[1]
Description
Generally, for the Euphorbia genus, they are "large and variable genus of annual and perennial, lactiferous, herbs, trees, and shrubs. Leaves opposite, alternate or some in a combination including whorled, entire, crenate, serrate or lobed. Flowers unisexual, borne in cyathia (involucres resembling flowers) with 4 or 5 lobes, at least one bearing a large gland, often with petaloid appendages. Each cyathium usually contains one pistillate flower and 2-15 or more staminate flowers; the staminate flower consists of a single stamen; the pistillate of a single pistil with 3-locules. Capsule 3-locular, each locule 1- seeded." [2]
Specifically, for Euphorbia curtisii species, they are "similar to E. ipecacuanhae. Stems stiffly erect, freely branched; lowers branches alternate, the upper ones opposite. Lower leaves mostly bract-like, alternate, the upper opposite, linear, lanceolate or oblong, glabrous or pubescent, 1-6 cm long, 0.5-1.5 mm wide, petioles 0.5-5 mm long. Peduncles 0.3-2 cm long. Cyathia glabrous or pubescent, 1.5-3 mm broad, petaloid appendages of glands white or pale pink, 0.8-1.3 mm long; 1-1.5 mm wide. Capsules remotely pubescent or glabrous, 2.5-3 mm long; pedicels exserted less than 1 mm from cyathia. Seeds gray mottled with reddish brown, 1.8-2 mm long." [2]
Distribution
Ecology
E. curtisii was absent before herbicide treatments near the end of the growing season but present after. This might be because of increased availability of resources.[3]
Habitat
E. curtisii occurs in wet pine flatwoods, in longleaf pinelands and savannas. This has also been spotted in human disturbed areas such as along roadsides and in edges of flatwoods. May be associated with areas that have been disturbed where the soil is a heavy sticky clay type.[4]
Associated species include wiregrass, Quercus pumila, Q. minima, Serenoa repens.[4]
Euphorbia curtisii is an indicator species for the Panhandle Silty Longleaf Woodlands community type as described in Carr et al. (2010).[5]
Phenology
E. curtisii has been observed flowering in April and May.[6]
Fire ecology
This species has been seen in Longleaf pinelands after a prescribed burn.[4]
Conservation, cultivation, and restoration
Cultural use
Photo Gallery
References and notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-atlantic states. Working Draft of 21 May 2015. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Radford, Albert E., Harry E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. 1964, 1968. The University of North Carolina Press. 668-672. Print.
- ↑ Bohn, K. K., P. Minogue, et al. (2011). "Control of invasive Japanese Climbing Fern (Lygodium japonicum) and response of native ground cover during restoration of a disturbed longleaf pine ecosystem." Ecological Restoration 29: 346-356.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: Robert K. Godfrey and Roy Komarek. States and Counties: Florida: Jefferson, Leon, and Wakulla. Georgia:Thomas.
- ↑ Carr, S.C., K.M. Robertson, and R.K. Peet. 2010. A vegetation classification of fire-dependent pinelands of Florida. Castanea 75:153-189.
- ↑ Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 9 DEC 2016
