Eastern toothed spurge

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Eastern toothed spurge stem

Eastern toothed spurge leaves

Eastern toothed spurge leaves

Eastern toothed spurge

Eastern toothed spurge inflorescence

Morphology

Stem

Erect or ascending, branched, principally pilose, longer hairs proximal to inflorescence fragile and spreading; sap milky.

Leaves

Mostly opposite, upper sometimes alternate; stipules absent or minute and gland-like; petiole .2 to .8 inch, pilose; blade narrowly lanceolate to rhombic or suborbiculate, 1.2 to 2.8 inches long, .16 to 1.4 inch wide, base symmetric, acute to obtuse or truncate, margins usually coarsely crenate-dentate, rarely crenate, tip acute to acuminate, lower surfaces pilose, upper surfaces sparsely pilose to glabrate.

Inflorescence

Cup-shaped receptacles, terminal, subtended by pale green- or white-based bracts, or bracts entirely green; peduncle less than 1/25 inch; involucres bell-shaped, .15 inch long, .07 inch wide, glabrous; glands (1-)2, green, obconic; appendage absent.

Flower

Staminate flowers 8-10; sepals 0; petals 0; stamen 1; pistillate flower: sepals 0; petals 0; ovary glabrous, styles 2-cleft for 3/4 to 1/2 their length.

Fruit

Capsules depressed-globose, 3-lobed, 1/10 to 1/8 inch, glabrous; seeds gray to black, usually not strongly mottled, ovoid, uniformly finely-pitted; caruncle present.

Ecology

Habitat

Oak-hickory woodlands, flood plains, thickets, rocky tallgrass prairies, roadsides, gardens, disturbed sites.

Distribution

East 1/3 of Kansas

Practical Information

Toxicity

Poisonous to livestock, but the flowers, fruits, and leaves are eaten by the wild turkey.

Additional Notes