Ditaxis serrata var. serrata
Saw toothed ditaxis
Photo: parent species Ditaxis serrata · (c) Madeleine Claire, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Euphorbiaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Ditaxis serrata var. serrata (Saw toothed ditaxis) is a native California perennial in the Euphorbiaceae family, recognized by densely hairy with clearly toothed ovate leaves diagnostic.
Saw toothed ditaxis is a California native perennial found in the Desert bioregion in sandy or rocky creosote-bush scrub at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from April to November, this plant produces tiny flowers with pale yellow or white petals. Growing with stems 10 to 35 centimeters tall that are densely covered in appressed white hairs, it forms a compact, low-growing habit. Its leaves are widely elliptic to ovate, 10 to 30 millimeters long, with clearly toothed edges and dense hairy surfaces. The small fruits are approximately 2 millimeters long with rounded, slightly striped seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; densely hairy with clearly toothed ovate leaves diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy or rocky soils, creosote-bush scrub
Elevation: < 200 m
California counties: Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego
Outside California: Arizona, Mexico
Bloom period
Ditaxis serrata var. serrata blooms Apr-Nov.
How to tell it apart
vs Ricinus: Ditaxis has small flowers with petals; castor bean has petalless flowers and huge leaves.; vs Croton: Ditaxis flowers have visible petals; Croton flowers completely lack petals.; vs Bernardia: Ditaxis has petals on flowers; Bernardia flowers are petalless.; vs Acalypha: Ditaxis has petaled flowers; Acalypha flowers lack petals entirely.; vs Triadica: Ditaxis is small desert herb with petals; Triadica is tree with petalless flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ditaxis serrata var. serrata native to California?
Yes. Ditaxis serrata var. serrata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Ditaxis serrata var. serrata bloom?
Ditaxis serrata var. serrata blooms Apr-Nov.
Where in California does Ditaxis serrata var. serrata grow?
Ditaxis serrata var. serrata occurs in Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, at elevations of < 200 m.
What plant family does Ditaxis serrata var. serrata belong to?
Ditaxis serrata var. serrata is in the Euphorbiaceae family, genus Ditaxis.
What habitat does Ditaxis serrata var. serrata grow in?
Ditaxis serrata var. serrata grows in Sandy or rocky soils, creosote-bush scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ditaxis sp.
- Ditaxis claryana — Glandular ditaxis
- Ditaxis lanceolata — Lance leaved ditaxis
- Ditaxis neomexicana — Common ditaxis
- Ditaxis serrata — Saw toothed ditaxis
- Ditaxis serrata var. californica — California ditaxis
- Euphorbia abramsiana — Abrams' spurge
- Euphorbia albomarginata — Rattlesnake sandmat
- Euphorbia arizonica — Arizona spurge
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.