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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.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Stems prostrate, sometimes mat-forming, up to about 32 inches long.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , RedBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov , Dec
Distribution
USA: AZ , CA , HI , LA , NM , NV , OK , TX , UTNative 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 PlantsFNA: Find Chamaesyce albomarginata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Chamaesyce albomarginata
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-03Research By: TWC Staff