Chamaesyce serpens (Kunth) Small                 =Euphorbia serpens                                                                      Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)   South America   Creeping Spurge

                                 May Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Glabrous prostrate annual, the stems 5-25 cm. long; lvs. rounded to oblong, 2-7 mm. long, with thin whitish entire margin; stipules united into a conspicuous whitish membrane entire or somewhat lacerate; cyathia solitary at the nodes, 1.5-2 mm. wide, campanulate to obconic; glands transversely oblong, concave, mostly maroon, 0.5-1 mm. long, the appendages conspicuous, white, entire or subcrenate; staminate fls. 5-10; caps. glabrous, sharply 3- angled 1.7-2.3 mm. long; seeds rounded-quadrangular, oblong, 1.3-1.7 mm. long, opaque-white, the facets smooth.

Habitat:  Hunter's Point, Salton Sea and Ojai; widely distributed in N. and S. Am.  Bloom dates not listed in Munz, Flora So. Calif.  The photos were taken in May.

Name:  Euphorbus, physician of Numidia.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 409).  Latin, serpens, creeping.  (John Johnson).

General:  Uncommon in the study area having been found only three times, first at the northerly end of Eastbluff, along Back Bay Dr. and photographed there.  Later found in Big Canyon and at 23rd St. (my comments).       A highly diversified genus of over 1000 species, mostly temperate, many cactus-like or otherwise highly modified in habit.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 409).

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 572; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 411, 415.

Photo Ref:  May 2 88 # 11,12.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 367.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 12/26/02.

                                             May Photo