Euphorbia palmeri var. subpubens

Kearney and Peebles 1969, McDougall 1973

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Herbaceous annuals, to 35 cm tall, stems several, ascending to erect, herbage pubescent, plants with a heavy root crown. Leaves: Alternate, sessile, cauline oblong to suborbicular, 5-20 mm long, tips obtuse and abruptly pointed, margins entire, those subtending the umbel whorled and mostly wider than long. Flowers: Staminate and pistillate; whitish, involucres to 3 mm long, with rounded, entire, ciliate lobes, the glands crenate and slightly 2-horned. Fruits: Ovoid capsules, to 4 mm long. Seeds ashy, 2.5 mm long, with a brown caruncle (small appendage at the tip) which is easily removed. Ecology: Found from 4,000-8,000 ft (1219-2438 m); flowering April-June. Distribution: Arizona, California, Utah. Notes: McDougall notes the major identifying trait of the var. subpubens is that the plants are pubescent, and has about the same range as the species, probably intergrading with it. Etymology: Euphorbia is named for Euphorbus, Greek physician of Juba II, King of Mauretania, palmeri is named after self-taught botanist, professional plant collector and amateur zoologist, archaeologist and ethnologist Edward Palmer (1829/1830--1911), and subpubens likely means somewhat pubescent or downy. Synonyms: None Editor: LCrumbacher2012