Euphorbia myrsinites

Myrtle spurge

Family: Euphorbiaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Myrtle spurge is a naturalized perennial found in the coastal counties near Albany and northern Sierra Nevada foothills near Quincy in disturbed habitats like streambanks and roadsides at elevations from sea level to 1,100 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces small yellow-green flowers in distinctive umbel-like clusters with triangular-ovate bracts. Growing with decumbent to ascending glaucous stems up to 40 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive evergreen habit. Its fleshy alternate leaves are arranged in vertical rows, featuring obovate to round blades 1 to 2.5 centimeters long with sharp tips. The fruit is a spherical, lobed structure 5 to 7 millimeters wide, producing gray-brown seeds with distinctive worm-like surface textures.

Habitat: Streambanks, roadside ditches, disturbed slopes

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: < 10 m and +- 1100 m

Bioregions: CCo (Albany Bulb, Alameda Co.), n SNH (near Quincy, Plumas Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.