Euphorbia cuphosperma

Kearney and Peebles 1969, McDougall 1973

Duration: Annual Nativity: Native Lifeform: Forb/Herb General: Simply branching, erect or ascending annual forb to 60 cm tall, stems strigose with gland-like stipules. Leaves: Mostly opposite, (lower ones sometimes alternate), lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3-7 cm long, margins entire or shallowly toothed. Flowers: Monoecious flowers borne in cup-shaped bracts (cyathia), clustered at branch tips, with white petaloid appendages. Fruits: Ovaries pubescent, capsules strigose, seeds sharply quadrangular. Ecology: Found on dry sites from 3,000-8,000 ft (914-2438 m); flowers August-October. Notes: The keys to this species are the linear to lanceolate leaves, with slightly toothed or entire margins, and the sharply quadrangular seeds. Ethnobotany: This plant was taken by mothers to induce milk production. Etymology: Euphorbia is named for Euphorbus, Greek physician of Juba II, King of Mauretania. Synonyms: Euphorbia dentata fo. cuphosperma, Euphorbia dentata var. cuphosperma, Poinsettia cuphosperma Editor: LCrumbacher, 2011