Euphorbia pinetorum

(Small) G. L. Webster

J. Arnold Arbor. 48: 403. 1967.

Common names: Pineland spurge
EndemicConservation concern
Basionym: Poinsettia pinetorum Small Fl. Miami, 111, 200. 1913
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 323. Mentioned on page 318.

Herbs, perennial, with thickened, woody taproot. Stems erect, 30–100 cm, glabrous; branches ± straight. Leaves usually alternate, occasionally opposite proximally; petiole 0–1.5 mm, glabrous; blade narrowly lanceolate to linear, base long-attenuate, 30–120 × 2.5–5 mm, margins usually entire, occasionally with few inconspicuous teeth, revolute, apex narrowly acute, surfaces glabrous; venation obscurely pinnate, midvein prominent. Cyathial arrangement: terminal monochasial or dichasial branches 1–2, unbranched; pleiochasial bracts 2–3, often whorled, wholly purpurescent green or pink at base, similar in shape and size to distal leaves or slightly narrower; dichasial bracts highly reduced. Cyathia: peduncle 1.5–3 mm. Involucre campanulate, 1.5–1.9 × 1.4–1.7 mm, glabrous; involucral lobes divided into broad, triangular segments; glands 3 (–5), red to purple, sessile and broadly attached, 0.8–1.1 × 1.2–1.6 mm, opening oblong (flattened without pressing), without annular rim, glabrous; appendages absent. Staminate flowers 8–12. Pistillate flowers: ovary glabrous; styles 1.5 mm, 2-fid nearly entire length. Capsules purpurescent, depressed-globose, 2.8–3.2 × 3.6–4 mm, 3-lobed, glabrous; columella 2.6–2.9 mm. Seeds dark-brown, cylindric-ovoid to ovoid, rounded in cross-section, 2.1–2.4 × 2 mm, uniformly low-tuberculate, tubercles in median, transverse ridge; caruncle absent.


Phenology: Flowering and fruiting year-round.
Habitat: Sandy soils in pinelands.
Elevation: 0–10 m.

Discussion

Euphorbia pinetorum has a restricted distribution in southern peninsular Florida, primarily in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The species is very similar to narrow-leaved forms of the closely related E. cyathophora but differs in its perennial habit, consistently unlobed leaves, and purpurescent involucral glands and cyathia.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"narrower" is not a number."broad" is not a number."connate" is not a number. "distinct" is not a number."entire" is not a number.

... more about "Euphorbia pinetorum"
Jess A. Peirson +, Paul E. Berry +  and Victor W. Steinmann +
(Small) G. L. Webster +
connate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +  and 12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br /> (?) +
long-attenuate +
2.5mm;5mm +
Poinsettia pinetorum +
narrowly lanceolate;linear +
dichasial +  and pleiochasial +
pink +  and green +
distinct +
2 +  and 3 +
reduced +
unbranched +  and dichasial +
arranged +  and opposite +
0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
3-lobed +  and depressed-globose +
0.36 cm3.6 mm <br />0.0036 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.26 cm2.6 mm <br />0.0026 m <br /> (0.29 cm2.9 mm <br />0.0029 m <br />) +
Pineland spurge +
0–10 m. +
pistillate +  and staminate +
red +  and purple +
0.8mm;1.1mm +
subtending +
1.2mm +  and 1.6mm +
Sandy soils in pinelands. +
axillary +  and terminal +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br />) +
campanulate +
0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br /> (0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br />) +
opposite +  and alternate +
caducous +, deciduous +  and persistent +
bractlike +
involucral +
divided +
palmate +  and pinnate +
toothed flat +  and revolute +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
connate;distinct +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
Flowering and fruiting year-round. +
J. Arnold Arbor. +
annular +
dark-brown +
0.21 cm2.1 mm <br />0.0021 m <br /> (0.24 cm2.4 mm <br />0.0024 m <br />) +
low-tuberculate +
rounded +, cylindric-ovoid +  and ovoid +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +
triangular +
Endemic +  and Conservation concern +
free +, connate +  and distinct +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
deciduous +  and persistent +
distinct +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +
Euphorbia pinetorum +
Euphorbia sect. Poinsettia +
species +
inconspicuous +