Euphorbia capitellata
(Head Sandmat)
Euphorbia capitellata, Euphorbia capitellata, Cerro Castellan, Big Bend National Park 1532
Euphorbia capitellata, Euphorbia capitellata, Cerro Castellan, Big Bend National Park 1536
Euphorbia capitellata, Euphorbia capitellata, Cerro Castellan, Big Bend National Park 1540
Euphorbia capitellata, Euphorbia capitellata, Cerro Castellan, Big Bend National Park 1542
Euphorbia capitellata, Euphorbia capitellata, Cerro Castellan, Big Bend National Park 1541
| Scientific Name | Euphorbia capitellata (Chamaesyce capitellata, Chamaesyce pycnanthema) | USDA PLANTS Symbol | CHCA29 |
| Common Name | Head Sandmat | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 28050 |
| Family | Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) | SEINet Reference |
Click Here |
| Description | Habitat: Dry areas in gravelly washes, rocky slopes, basaltic talus, disturbed roadsides, desert scrub and grasslands; 1,500 to 5,000 ft. Plant: Decumbent to erect annual or short-lived perennial a few inches tall with many (5 to 50) slightly hairy to smooth, somewhat branched, stems up to 14 inches long. Leaves: Opposite,ovate to narrowly ovate, 3/16 to 1 inch long, with asymmetrical bases and acute to obtuse tips; lower margins are serrate, upper are entire, or sometimes both are the same; surfaces are gray-green, smooth or sparsely covered with short hairs. Inflorescence: Dense, ball-shaped clusters of very small (appearing to be about 1/8-inch across or less) cyathia at the upper leaf axils; cyathia have a reddish, bell-shaped involucre ringed by white "petals" (actually called "appendages") surrounding 4 yellow-green to reddish nectar glands at thei bases; each cyathium with many staminate flowers (stamens and anthers) and one pistillate flower (the ovary) that is smooth or fuzzy with a protruding stigma with 3 styles, each with 2 whitish lobes. Fruit: Smooth to hairy, tiny, broadly oval-shaped, ~1/16-inch long and as wide. Bloom Period: April to November. References: Flora of North America and SEINet; Euphorbia pycnanthema in "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Texas Status: Native |
Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County
© Tom Lebsack 2024