Cnidoscolus stimulosus (Michx.) Engelm. & A. Gray

Spurge Nettle; Tread Softly; Finger Rot

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Finger Rot is a native herbaceous perennial in the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It is native to all but the northern-most counties in Alabama. Finger Rot occurs in dry Longleaf Pine woods, in scrub oak woods and sand hills, in dry mixed pine/hardwood forests, on dunes, on roadsides, and in disturbed habitats. It is a perennial with a stout tap root. Stems are often several from a root stock. The stems are 1-2 feet in height, branched above the middle, green in color, with unbranched stinging hairs, and white latex sap. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, ovate to round in outline, deeply palmately lobed, and with large teeth along the margins. The leaves are pubescent with unbranched stinging hairs. Flowers are produced in a terminal cyme. The cyme contains pistillate flowers in the center, and staminate flowers laterally. The flowers have 5 white petaloid sepals and no petals. The calyx is salverform. The fruit is a 3-sided capsule, each section with a single seed. The fruit is green in color and covered in unbranched stinging hairs. Finger Rot is closely related to Cnidoscolus urens (Linnaeus) Arthur of Mexico, Central and South America. It has been treated by some as a variety of that species (Cnidoscolus urens (Linnaeus) Arthur var. stimulosus (Michaux) Govaerts.--A. Diamond

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Native

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