Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia
Photo: parent species Euphorbia serpillifolia · (c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Euphorbiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia is a native California herb in the Euphorbiaceae family, recognized by NONE - geographically isolated; glabrous habit with variable seed texture.
Thyme-leaf spurge is a California native annual found in dry habitats at elevations below 2,500 meters. Flowering from August to October, this plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers in delicate clusters. Growing with glabrous stems spreading to 15 centimeters tall, it forms low, compact patches across arid landscapes. Its leaves are small, measuring 3 to 14 millimeters long, creating a dense, fine-textured appearance across the plant. The smooth to slightly wrinkled seeds contribute to its subtle but distinctive character.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: NONE - geographically isolated; glabrous habit with variable seed texture
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Dry habitats
Elevation: < 2500 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern North America, Mexico
Bloom period
Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia blooms Aug-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Croton: Euphorbia bleeds milky white latex and packs its flowers into a tiny cup (cyathium) rimmed with nectar glands; Croton has watery sap, stellate or scaly hairs, and ordinary small separate male and female flowers.; vs Stillingia: Euphorbia flowers sit in a gland-bearing cyathium; Stillingia bears its flowers in a spike with a pair of glands flanking each subtending bract and has no cyathium cup.; vs Ditaxis: Euphorbia has latex and the cyathium; Ditaxis has clear sap, 5-parted petaled male and female flowers, and 2-forked (malpighiaceous) hairs.; vs Asclepias: Both ooze milky sap, but Euphorbia's minute flowers cluster in a cyathium and ripen into a 3-lobed capsule; milkweeds have showy 5-parted flowers with a crown and paired follicles of plumed seeds.; vs Polygonum: Prostrate mat spurges leak milky sap when torn and have paired stipules with opposite leaves at the nodes; knotweeds have clear sap and a papery sheath (ocrea) wrapping each node.
Frequently asked questions
Is Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia native to California?
Yes. Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia bloom?
Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia blooms Aug-Oct.
What plant family does Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia belong to?
Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia is in the Euphorbiaceae family, genus Euphorbia.
What habitat does Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia grow in?
Euphorbia serpillifolia subsp. serpillifolia grows in Common. Dry habitats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.