Prostrate Spruge

(Chamaesyce spp.)

Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)

▲ seedling

▲  small plant

▲ ▼ mature plant rosettes

▲ ▼ plants with upright, arching growth that sometime occurs later in season

Prostrate Spurge:  (mentioned on p. 297 in Weeds of the Great Plains, mentioned on pp.226-227, Weeds of the Northeast)

·        summer annual plant with a ground-hugging (prostrate), spreading growth habit—grows 2-8” tall and 6-24” wide

·        leaves are small, oval-shaped

·        a similar species with purplish spots in the center of the leaves is called spotted spurge (pp. 296-297, Weeds of the Great Plains; pp. 226-227, Weeds of the Northeast)

·        it usually grows smaller than prostrate spurge (at least not as broad-spreading as prostrate spurge)

·        prostrate spurge also has milky sap when stems or leaves are broken, making it easy to distinguish from prostrate knotweed