Euphorbia hirta L.

Hairy Spurge; Pill Pod Sandmat

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Hairy Spurge is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It is native from central Mexico south into South America. In Alabama it can be found primarily in the southern half of the state. Hairy Spurge occurs in the cracks of sidewalks, in parking lots, along railroads, in flower beds, and in lawns. It is an erect or prostrate annual with a tap root. The plants are usually branched near the base. The stems are pubescent with long white hairs and green or red in color. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate to rhombic in outline, with toothed margins. The base of the leaf is asymmetrical. The leaves are pubescent with scattered long hairs, and are often purplish-red in color. The flowers are produced in dense axillary and terminal cymes. The flowers occur in cyathia (the inflorescence which resembles a single flower, but consists of a cup-shaped involucre of fused bracts enclosing 2-8 greatly reduced male flowers and a single female flower). The ovary is pubescent. The fruit is a 3-sided capsule. Hairy Spurge is common in urban areas, but often goes un-noticed due to its small size and lack of showy flowers. All parts of the plant contain a milky white sap. This species may be found under the older name Chamaesyce hirta (Linnaeus) Millspaugh.--A. Diamond

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Native

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