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

Taxonomic notes

Synonyms: Tithymalopsis curtisii (Engelmann) Small; Tithymalopsis eriogonoides Small

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." - Radford et al 1964

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." - Radford et al 1964

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.

Habitat

This has been found in wet pine flatwoods, in Longleaf pinelands and savannas (FSU Herbarium). This has also been spotted in human disturbed areas such as along roadsides and in edges of flatwoods (FSU Herbarium). May be associated with areas that have been disturbed where the soil is a heavy sticky clay type (FSU Herbarium).

Associated species include wiregrass, Quercus pumila, Q. minima, Serenoa repens (FSU Herbarium).

Fire ecology

This species has been seen in Longleaf pinelands after a prescribed burn (FSU Herbarium).

References and notes

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.

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.