Euphorbia davidii
(Toothed Spurge)
Euphorbia davidii, Picture Canyon, Comanche National Grassland, Baca Co. 9473
Euphorbia davidii, Picture Canyon, Comanche National Grassland, Baca Co. 9485
| Scientific Name | Euphorbia davidii (Euphorbia dentata) | USDA PLANTS Symbol | EUDA5 |
| Common Name | Toothed Spurge, David's Spurge | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 565180 |
| Family | Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description |
Life zones and habitat: Plains to foothills (3400 to 6500 ft.); dry soils in grasslands, roadsides and disturbed areas Plant: Annual 4 to 24 inches tall, with ascending branches; stems sparsely hairy with longer hairs near the inflorescence; milky sap. Leaves: Mostly opposite and linear to ovate or elliptic to lanceolate 0.6 to 3.6 inches long and 0.2 to 1.4 inches wide with acuminate or obtuse tips and toothed edges; on petioles 0.25 to 1 inch long. Inflorescence: Flower clusters are subtended by a crowded group of bracts resembling leaves with whitened bases; cyathia (the modified flowers in Euphorbiaceae) are clustered at branch tips; each cyathium has both pistillate and staminate flowers; a single, stalked female flower protrudes from the middle, lacking petals and producing the round fruit; there are 5 to 8 staminate flowers adjacent to the female parts, each a single very small stamen. Bloom Period: June to September. Fruit: Small 3-lobed, nearly spherical pods about 0.2-inch long. References: "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield, Flora of North America, Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses and SEINet |
BONAP Distribution Map
Map Color Key |
Colorado Status: Introduced |
© Tom Lebsack 2024
Banner photo: Ten Mile Range and Rhodiola integrifolia (King’s Crown) in Summit County