Euphorbia hirta

Decumbent to erect, to 6 dm, usually conspicuously hairy, with oblong or lance-oblong lvs 1-4 cm and the fls numerous in dense, axillary and terminal, often peduncled clusters, is widespread in trop. and warm-temp. regions, including s. U.S., but only rarely adventive and probably not persistent with us.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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Duration: Annual Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Few-stemmed, erect to decumbent, sparingly branched annual 2-25 cm tall, stems strigose to pilose with yellowish hairs. Leaves: Stout petioles 1-2 cm long, pilose, narrowly lanceolate, rhombic-lanceolate, or ovate leaves 3-12 mm wide, 8-30 mm long, acute at apex, asymmetrical at base, sharply to inconspicuously serrulate, sparsely hispid but glabrate above, appressed to spreadingly hirsute beneath, often reddish or with reddish splotches on lower surface. Flowers: Cyathia in dense pedunculate heads, peduncles sparsely strigose to glabrate, involucres obconic-campanulate .6-.9 mm in diameter, strigose without, glabrous within; glands stipitate, orbicular to transversely oval, appendages white or sometimes absent; staminate flowers 2-8 per cyathium. Fruits: Capsule 1-1.2 mm long, truncate at base. Ecology: Found on sandy or light soil from 3,000-5,000 ft (914-1524 m); flowers March-September. Notes: The cyathia in dense pedunculate heads helps to separate out this species. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other species in genera have medicinal use. Etymology: Euphorbia is named for Euphorbus, Greek physician of Juba II, King of Mauretania, hirta means hairy. Synonyms: Euphorbia hirta, Euphorbia pilulifera Editor: SBuckley, 2010