Rank Species | Higher classification Spurges | |
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Similar Spurges, Euphorbiaceae, Euphorbia prostrata, Euphorbia chamaesyce, Spotted spurge |
Euphorbia serpens is a species of euphorb known by the common name matted sandmat. It is native to South America but it can be found on most continents as an introduced species and often a weed. This is an annual herb forming a mat of prostrate stems which root at nodes where the stem comes in contact with the ground. The oval leaves occur in oppositely arranged pairs, each leaf less than a centimeter long. The inflorescence is a cyathium with scalloped white petal-like appendages surrounding the actual flowers. A red nectar gland is at the base of each appendage, and at the center of the cyathium are several male flowers around one female flower. The fruit is a lobed, spherical capsule.






References
Euphorbia serpens Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA