Euphorbia polycarpa

Taxobox
name = "Euphorbia polycarpa"


image_width = 210px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Malpighiales
familia = Euphorbiaceae
genus = "Euphorbia"
species = "E. polycarpa"
binomial = "Euphorbia polycarpa"
binomial_authority = Benth.
synonyms = "Chamaesyce polycarpa"

"Euphorbia polycarpa" (formerly "Chamaesyce polycarpa") is a species of spurge known by the common name smallseed sandmat. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, especially the deserts and other dry, sandy areas. This is a perennial herb producing stems that trail along the ground to form a clump or mat, sometimes growing somewhat upright. The leaves are each under a centimeter long. They are round or oval-shaped and have triangular stipules at the bases. What looks like a single flower is actually an inflorescence of many staminate (male) flowers united around a single central pistillate (female) flower. Bracts surrounding the flower unit are white and petal-like. The fruit is a thin spherical capsule less than 2 millimeters wide layered over a seed.

External links

* [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3618,3623,3642 Jepson Manual Treatment]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CHPO12 USDA Plants Profile]
* [http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Chamaesyce+polycarpa Photo gallery]