Euphorbia prostrata

Euphorbia prostrata Aiton, Hort. Kew. ed 1, 2: 139. 1789; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 5: 266. 1890; Burch, Rhodora 68: 163. 1966; Mitra, Indian For. 95: 425. 1969; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr.) 2: t. 250. 1983; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 583. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 570. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 630. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 11: 295; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras. org vol. 12; Radcliffe- Smith, Fl. Pak @ eFloras.org p. 106.

Annual herb, prostrate. Stems many from base, flattened and pubescent above, terete and glabrous beneath, 15-20(-30) cm long, usually light red or red, occasionally green. Leaves opposite; petioles 0.5-1 mm long, glabrous; leaf blades obovate-suborbicular, 3-8 mm x 1-5 mm, obtuse or rounded at the apex, obliquely rounded base, minutely serrulate in the upper half, otherwise +/- entire, 3-nerved at base, adaxially green, sometimes with light red or red abaxially, both surfaces glabrous except in apical region abaxially. Stipules triangular, laciniate, the upper paired, narrow, 0.5 mm long, the lower fused, interpetiolar, broader, 1 mm long. Cyathia solitary (occasionally more) in the leaf-axils on microphyllous lateral shoots, long pedunculate, peduncle 2-3 mm long. Involucre obconic, ca. 1 mm x 0.5 mm, glabrous, sometimes with some pubescence, marginal lobes 5, triangular or rounded; glands 4, purple, oval to oblong, 0.1 mm x 0.1-0.2 mm; appendages minute, white to pink, rudimentary. Male Flowers: 3-6, minute, usually shorter than involucre, not exserted, anthers red. Female Flowers: Pedicellate, exserted from involucre. Ovary triangular, pubescent on angles, 3-locular, one ovule per loculus; styles 3, connate at base, bifid nearly up to base. Fruits (capsules) ca. 1.2 mm x 1.4 mm, broadly ovoid, sharply trigonous, angles keeled, smooth, glabrous except for white spreading hairs along angles, pale green or stramineous, the keels often purplish; columella ca. 1 mm long; fruiting pedicel ca. 2 mm long. Seeds white but with barely concealed brown surface beneath, ovoid-quadrangular, each side sharply transversely furrowed and ridged, 0.8-1 mm x 0.5 mm, ecarunculate.

Flowering and Fruiting: Almost throughout the year.
Common Names: Prostrate Sandmat, Red Euphorbia, Prostrate Spurge.