Euphorbia serpillifolia

Thyme-leafed spurge, Thyme-Leafed Spurge

Family: Euphorbiaceae · Type: annual · Native

Thyme-leafed spurge is a California native annual found in dry, open habitats at low to moderate elevations. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces tiny white petal-like appendages surrounding delicate cyathia clustered at each node. Growing with prostrate to ascending stems that repeatedly fork and spread across the ground, it forms a low, intricate mat reaching 10 to 20 centimeters wide. Its opposite leaves are small and delicate, measuring 3 to 14 millimeters long, with oblong to ovate blades that have finely toothed edges and slightly asymmetric bases. The seeds are small, ovoid, and range from white to brown with subtle surface variations.

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