Euphorbia corollata — flowering spurge
![Flowers: Euphorbia corollata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Euphorbiaceae/euphorbia-corollata-fl-ahaines-a.jpg)
![Flowers: Euphorbia corollata. ~ By Elizabeth Farnsworth. ~ Copyright © 2024 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Euphorbiaceae/euphorbia-corollata-fl-efarnsworth.jpg)
![Fruits: Euphorbia corollata. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2024 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Euphorbiaceae/euphorbia-corollata-fr-ahaines-b.jpg)
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Facts
Native from South Dakota to Texas and easwards to the Atlantic, flowering spurge is nevertheless considered non-native in New England. It is found in fields and woodlands throughout.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), woodlands
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
-
- NA
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are no petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower, or they are not clearly present
- Fruit type (general)
-
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx symmetry
- NA
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- NA
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower symmetry
-
- NA
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are no petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower, or they are not clearly present
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes neither petals nor sepals
- Petal and sepal colors
- NA
- Petal appearance
- NA
- Petal folds or pleats
- NA
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal number
- 0
- Petal tip shape
- NA
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- each flower has only carpels or only stamens, but both types of flower are present on each plant (monoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- NA
- Sepal and petal color
- NA
- Sepal appendages
- NA
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal number
- 0
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
-
- NA
- the capsule has no prominent ribs or wings
- Capsule splitting
-
- NA
- the capsule splits by three main valves, teeth or pores
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit beak length
- 0 mm
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit locules
- three
- Fruit type (general)
-
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- anything
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- the fruit is not flattened
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0–3
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is milky and opaque, and may be white or colored
- Sap color
- the sap is white
-
Growth form
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 0
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf variation
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaflet petiolules
- NA
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- NA
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- woodlands
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Euphorbia corollata L. E
Flowering spurge. Tithymalopsis corollata (L.) Klotzsch • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Fields, open woodlands.
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Euphorbia marginata:
- leaves of the cyathiescence white on the margin or entirely white, those of the stem with broad-ovate to elliptic or obovate-oblong blades that are acute at the apex, and stems and involucres pubescent (vs. E. corollata, with leaves of the cyathiescence green, those of the stem with linear to elliptic blades that are obtuse at the apex, and stems and involucres glabrous or pubescent).
Synonyms
- Tithymalopsis corollata (L.) Klotzsch