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• Euphorbiaceae
• Euphorbia
• Euphorbia ipecacuanhae

Euphorbia ipecacuanhae — ipecac spurge

Facts

Ipecac spurge has a limited distribution along the east coast from Georgia to Connecticut, where it is rare. It was used by the Cherokee internally to stop violent hemorrhage.

Habitat

Forest edges, sandplains and barrens, woodlands

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther opening

  the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Calyx symmetry

  NA

  Carpels fused

  the carpels are fused to one another

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  NA

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  NA

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium

  Flower symmetry

  • NA
  • there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Fused stamen clusters

  NA

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower does not have a hypanthium

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  there are no petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower, or they are not clearly present

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes neither petals nor sepals

  Petal and sepal colors

  NA

  Petal appearance

  NA

  Petal folds or pleats

  NA

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal number

  0

  Petal tip shape

  NA

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  each flower has only carpels or only stamens, but both types of flower are present on each plant (monoecious)

  Scales inside corolla

  NA

  Sepal and petal color

  NA

  Sepal appendages

  NA

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal number

  0

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  NA

  Achene shape

  NA

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  NA

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  • NA
  • the capsule has no prominent ribs or wings

  Capsule splitting

  • NA
  • the capsule splits by three main valves, teeth or pores

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit beak length

  0 mm

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit locules

  three

  Fruit type (general)

  • the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
  • the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  NA

  Mericarp length

  anything

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Ovary stipe

  the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe

  Placenta arrangement

  the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  the fruit is not flattened

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0–3

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Wings on fruit

  the fruit does not have wings on it

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is milky and opaque, and may be white or colored

  Sap color

  the sap is white

• Growth form

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

• Leaves

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)

  0

  Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Leaf arrangement

  opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf duration

  the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf teeth and lobes

  the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

  Leaf type

  the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaf variation

  the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem

  Leaflet petiolules

  NA

  Leaves per node

  there are two leaves per node along the stem

  Pinnately compound leaf type

  NA

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on the plant

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  Specific habitat

  • edges of forests
  • sandplains or barrens
  • woodlands

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Flowering stem cross-section

  the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular

  Hooked hairs on stem between nodes

  no

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

Wetland status

Not classified

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae