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Chamaesyce albomarginata (Whitemargin sandmat)
Wilson, John

Chamaesyce albomarginata

Chamaesyce albomarginata (Torr. & A. Gray) Small

Whitemargin Sandmat, Rattlesnake-weed

Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)

Synonym(s): Euphorbia albomarginata

USDA Symbol: CHAL11

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), HI (I)

Dense, thin mats of small, roundish opposite leaves and slender stems have milky sap, and have many tiny white flower-like cups.

One of the showiest of the low spurges, it was once thought useful for treatment of snakebite; hence its common name. The cup-like structure has many simple flowers: those producing pollen have only 1 stamen; those producing seeds consist of just an ovary. Around the edge of the cup are several glands which may or may not have petal-like appendages. The entire structure mimics a single flower, whose structure is typical of many species of Euphorbia.

 

From the Image Gallery

10 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Stems prostrate, sometimes mat-forming, up to about 32 inches long.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Red
Bloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , HI , LA , NM , NV , OK , TX , UT
Native Distribution: Southeastern California and southern Utah to Oklahoma; south to Mexico.
Native Habitat: Open areas in deserts, arid grassland, and pinon and juniper woodland.

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Chamaesyce albomarginata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Chamaesyce albomarginata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Chamaesyce albomarginata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-03
Research By: TWC Staff

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