Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_9284.JPG-09-05-2021
Flower name (scientific): Euphorbia dentata André Michaux PY: 1803. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) yoo-FOR-bee-ah den-TAY-ta
Flower name (common): Toothed Spurge
Family name (common): Spurge
Family name (scientific): Euphorbiaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Named for Euphorbus, Greek physican to Juba II, King of Mauretania. From the Greek eu, for well, and phorbe, pasture or fodder, hence, euphorbos reads literally well-fed.
    Specific epithet: From the Latin dens for tooth; having teeth.
Common name origin: Spurge derives from the old French espurge meaning to purge. Spurge is a common name for plants that when cut or bruised, secrete a milky latex that has purgative or medicinal applications. The latex is toxic.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 5 mm)
     Petal count: 0
     Color: white or green
     Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-flat
Plant description:
     Size: 9 to 24 inches (23 to 61 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate and/or opposite, type is simple
     Size:
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, narrowly lanceolate to suborbiculate (FNA), elliptic-lanceolate to ovate, or linear-lanceolate to elliptic (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): July to September
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual
Habitat: Roadsides, disturbed areas, waste areas, streambanks, forests, prairies, fields, sun or semi shade, dry to moist.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Euphorbia dentata and Euphorbia davidii are very similar. The former has soft hairs on the abaxial leaf blade surface and seeds rounded in cross section, whereas Euphorbia davidii has stiff hairs on the abaxial leaf blade surface and seeds angular in cross section.
Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes from Wisconsin. The Keres mothers used the plant to help produce more milk (Moerman, p. 230, 1998).
Latitude: 44.798967
Longitude: -91.525798
Altitude: 236.80
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Crawford, Dane, Eau Claire, Grant, Jefferson, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Pierce, Racine, Sauk, Walworth) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NE, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (ON) Click here for distribution map
References: Jess A. Peirson, Paul E. Berry, Victor W. Steinmann, In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 12. http://floranorthamerica.org/Euphorbia_sect._Poinsettia and http://floranorthamerica.org/Euphorbia_dentata. Accessed [10-04-2021].
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): Not listed
Wetland Status (MW): Not listed