Leafy Spurge
 Flowers Norman E. Rees, USDA ARS |
 Roadside Incursion Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut |
 Infested meadow William M. Ciesla, For. Health Mngmt. Int. |
 North American Distribution USDA Plants DB 5.7.08 |
 Illinois Distribution USDA Plants DB 5.7.08 |
Family: Euphorbiaceae; Genus: Euphorbia; Species: esula; Synonyms: Euphorbia esula
Growth Form: Forb
General: Perennial herb, flow bracts very visible from May through mid-June, seeds produced in July.
Flowers: Inconspicuous, borne by paired, yellowish green, cup-shaped bracts, paired bracts are in clusters of seven to ten at top of stem branches.
Fruits and Seeds: Contained in center of paired bracts, explosive dehiscence projects seeds up to 15 ft.
Leaves: Leaves alternate, narrow, lanceolate-oblong with pointy tips; smooth leaves produce milky sap.
Stems or Branches: Erect, tough and woody, 4-39 in. high.
Threatens: Prairies, savannas, pastures; moist to dry soils, partial to full sun.
Look-Alikes: Flowing Spurge (E. corollata), native, has white bracts; Seaside Spurge (E. polygonifolia), native, has opposite to subopposite leaves and grows prostrate on sand surface; Cypress Spurge (E. ????); Woodland Spurges (E. communata and E. obtuse), native…..
Distribution: Native to much of Eurasia, widely distributed across N U.S. Apparently absent from SE.
Other Links:
http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/eues1.htm
http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/leafyspurge.shtml
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/invasives/fact/spurge.htm
