EUPHORBIACE^— SPURGE FAMILY 



CYPRESS-SPURGE 



Euphorbia cyparissias 



Euphorbia, an ancient name, in honor of Euphorbus, 

 King Juba's physician. 



Perennial. Naturalized from Europe and escaped 

 from gardens and old graveyards; grows in patches. 

 Throughout northeastern United States and west to 

 Kansas. Common in northern Ohio. April, May. 



Rootstock. — Horizontal, creeping. 



Stems. — Clustered in large patches, five to twelve 

 inches high, somewhat branching, topped by many-rayed 

 umbels of greenish-yellow flowers, very leafy, milky. 



Leaves. — Many and crowded, pale green, linear; margins 

 strengthened; half to three-fourths of an inch long, ir- 

 regularly alternate upon the stem. 



Flower cluster. — Umbel, greenish yellow, flat-dome- 

 shaped. 



Flowers. — Insignificant; the involucre of two bracts 

 more conspicuous than the group of pistillate and stam- 

 inate florets within. 



Fruit. — Capsule, globose; seeds oblong. 

 Pollinated by bees and butterflies. 



The Cypress- Spurge usually marks the site of an 

 old garden or has crossed the enclosure of a country 

 churchyard. It is easily recognized as a patch of yel- 



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