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Myrtle spurge (Euphorbia myrsinites)

Myrtle spurge Synonyms: Tithymalus myrsinites

Common Names: Blue spurge, Broad-leaved glaucous spurge

Description: Plant is toxic if consumed and can cause skin and eye irritation.

Habit: Perennial or biennial herb growing between 6-12 in. tall.

Leaves: Alternate in tight spirals, grey-blue in color, thick, waxy, oval to wedge-shaped, pointed at the tip, 1.6-3.2 cm. long and 0.64-2.5 cm. wide.

Flowers: Yellow green in color, cupped inside a yellow bract, growing in clusters. Bloom from mid Spring to early Summer.

Fruit and seeds: Each flower produces a seed pod that is bluish-green in color and contains 3, 0.32 cm long seeds that are dusty brown in color and resembles a peach pit.

Habitat: Native to southern Europe and central Asia. Can be found in disturbed areas and waste places.

Reproduction: By seed.

Credits: The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org). Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com).


Common Name:

Myrtle spurge

Scientific Name:

Euphorbia myrsinites

Family:

Euphorbiaceae
(Spurge)

Duration:

Biennial, Perennial

Habit:

Herbs

USDA Symbol:

EUMY2