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- All other herbaceous, flowering dicots
- Euphorbia dentata
Euphorbia dentata — toothed spurge
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Facts
Toothed spurge is native to North America, but considered a noxious weed in some states. It is absent from New England except for an introduced occurrence in northern Vermont.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
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.
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Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- 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
- NA
- 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
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- 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 stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk base
- the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem
- Leaf teeth and lobes
- the leaf blade margin has forward-pointing teeth
- 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 are two leaves per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- NA
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
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
- absent
- 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
3. Euphorbia dentata Michx. E
toothed spurge. Anisophyllum dentatum (Michx.) Haw.; Euphorbia dentata Michx. var. linearis Engelm. ex Boiss.; Poinsettia dentata (Michx.) Klotzsch & Garcke • VT; northern portion of state. Urban and suburban streets, yards, and waste areas.
Native to North America?
No
Synonyms
- Anisophyllum dentatum (Michx.) Haw.
- Euphorbia dentata Michx. var. linearis Engelm. ex Boiss.
- Poinsettia dentata (Michx.) Klotzsch & Garcke