Species Detail Forb

Flowers and fruit		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Chamaesyce serpyllifolia - thymeleaf sandmat Other Common Names: spurge Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub Family: Euphorbiaceae
Flowers and fruit


Home	Plant Communities	Plant List	Search Forbs and Subshrubs	Search Grasses	Search Woody Plants	Additional Resources	About this Website

Click on Any Image for a Larger View
Leaves and fruit Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Plant Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)

Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native Life Cycle: Annual
General Desc: This prostrate annual forb spreads up to 1 foot wide in a mat with reddish stems. It can be found in varied habitat types and in many areas grows as a roadside weed. Milky sap of spurge plants is a skin irritant and can be toxic.
Identification notes: Seeds are smooth, or irregularly and obscurely roughened or pitted. Stamens 5 to 18 per flower. Leaf margins minutely serrate at the apex.
Height: 2 to 3 inches

Habitat

Habitat Description: Sandy hillsides, desert grasslands, dry washes, and disturbed areas.
Plant Communities: Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, Riparian, Disturbed Areas
Elevation: 1500 - 4600 feet

Flower Characteristics

Color: White Shape: Regular in round clusters Tubular: N Flowering Period: Jun - Aug
Description: The flowers are tiny and cup shaped with white petal-like appendages surrounding the actual flowers. There are 4 male flowers and a single female flower, the latter developing into a lobed, hairy fruit capsule.

Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Green Leaf Type: Simple Leaf Shape: Round or oval Leaf Margin: Toothed Leaf Attachment: Alternate and opposite Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: No Spines: N
Leaf Description: Leaves are opposite with serrated margins on the upper half and are often red along the midveins.

Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Color: Green to red
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: Seed capsules are oval, lobed, and hairy.
Seed Notes: Tiny seeds are ovoid and white to brown.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer