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flower |
inner |
petals |
stem |
toxicity |
_2009_07_15_BurscoughBridge_MartinMere_Rufford_548p6.jpg)
| 15th July 2009, Martin Mere, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| An annual weed of gardens, up to 50cm tall, sometimes branched, as here. First branch often displaying five-fold symmetry, with five leaves at the junction of five parting stems. |
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| 4th Aug 2009, Martin Mere, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flowerheads at first bright yellowish-green. Leaves oval. Flowerheads form a rather flattish area. Stems reddish, exude a toxic and caustic milky sap if broken. |
_2009_07_15_BurscoughBridge_MartinMere_Rufford_554p76.jpg)
| 15th July 2009, Martin Mere, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| The next branch usually exhibits three-fold symmetry, with three leaves at the base of three branching stems. |
_2009_08_04_BurscoughBridge_MartinMere_canal_circ_039p5.jpg)
| 4th Aug 2009, Martin Mere, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| The leaves/bracts are often in adjacent pairs with the pair on the pairs on the outer part of the plant. The bracts are more deeply serrated at the extremities. |
_2009_08_04_BurscoughBridge_MartinMere_canal_circ_038p45.jpg)
| 4th Aug 2009, Martin Mere, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| The flowerheads are distinctly flattened in appearance, a little like umbels. The leaves or bracts are widest past the mid-point, where also the leaves teeth are more pronounced. The fruits are smooth and have three lobes. There are no petals as such but 4 greenish oval lobes without any horns or crescents whatsoever, which is usual for Spurges and one of the identifying features of Sun Spurge. |
_2009_08_04_BurscoughBridge_MartinMere_canal_circ_038p78.jpg)
| 4th Aug 2009, Martin Mere, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Sun Spurge is the commonest Spurge with toothed leaves/bracts. The fruits are small with two protuberances extending from the end. |
_2009_08_04_BurscoughBridge_MartinMere_canal_circ_037p000.jpg)
| 4th Aug 2009, Martin Mere, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Higher up the plant the last branching may be two-way symmetric, just bifurcating. |
_2009_08_04_BurscoughBridge_MartinMere_canal_circ_044p2.jpg)
| 4th Aug 2009, Martin Mere, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Here displaying three-fold symmetry at a branching. |
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Easily confused with : Sea Spurge (if only because the first word begins with 'S' and has three letters). Many similarities to : Portland Spurge Hybridises with: Portland Spurge, the hybrid occuring in only one hactad on the coaast of Mid-Wales. The only common Spurge with toothed leaves (toothed more at the extremities). the flower bracts are in adjacent rather than opposite pairs as is the more usual for Spurges. The flowers have no petals, just four small oval lobes; the lobes in the case of Sun Spurge being without horns or crescents of any form or kind. Inhabits gardens, allotments, wastelands and cultivated and arable land as a weed. Flowers through mild winters. ANY TEXT GOES HERE |
 Euphorbia |
