Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia terracina

Common Names: False caper

Plant Form: Upright herbaceous perennial Size: 20-80 cm tall, sometimes up to 1 m. Stem: Slender, hairless, greenish to reddish, often numerous, sometimes over 100 stems from a single taproot. Leaves: Bright green, on stems, oval shaped in clusters at top, or lance shaped further down plant, with finely toothed edges. Flowers: Tiny and mostly inconspicuous, in yellowish-green cup shaped organs with one more prominent female flower in middle. Fruit and Seeds: Smooth and stronly 3 lobed capsules with 3 seeds. Habitat: Sand dunes, swamps, bare ground, heathlands. Distinguishing Features: Finely toothed leaf edges distinguish from similar looking spurges. Impacts: Forms thickets, alters vegetation, outcompetes native plants and pasture, unpalatable, caustic and toxic sap.

Close-up of juvenile fruit

Stems can be red

Flowers crowd to make a texture

Top growth can also be yellow