|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
|||||||||
| THE SPURGE FAMILY | |||||||||
| The spurge family is mainly tropical, though there are several species in temperate regions, such as Saskatchewan. In Saskatchewan, some members of the spurge family, for example, leafy spurge, are considered weedy. Spurges can be herbs or shrubs with a milky or sticky sap in the stems. The leaves are alternate and stipules are present. The inflorescence is called a cyathium. It is made of several male flowers and one female flower in the centre. The flowers are surrounded by nectar glands and cup-shaped bracts. The fruits are capsules or dry fruits that separate into one-seeded segments. | |||||||||
| ROUND-LEAVED SPURGE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Chamaesyce serpens | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Round-leaved spurge grows flat along the ground. This plant can be up to 40 cm long and often roots at the nodes. The leaves are opposite and short-stalked. The stipules on both sides of the stem are united to form a whitish or pinkish membranous scale. The leaves are usually 2 to 8 mm long and are uneven at the base. The cyathia are solitary in the leaf axils. There are usually three to eight male flowers per cyathium. The fruit is a capsule that releases three brownish seeds. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| In Saskatchewan, round-leaved spurge has been found on dry, barren hilltops. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Round-leaved spurge is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare and highly regionally restricted. This species is usually locally numerous within limited areas. Possible threats have been identified for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY ROUND-LEAVED SPURGE | |||||||||
| * Does the plant grow flat along the ground? * Are the leaves opposite? * Do the stipules form a whitish or pinkish scale around the stem? * Did you find it in southwestern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found round-leaved spurge! | |||||||||
