Sun spurge
Common Name:
spurge, sun
Scientific Name:
Euphorbia helioscopia
Family:
Euphorbiaceae
Lifecycle:
Annual
Features
Annual broadleaf weed. Leaves alternate, spatulate. Stem red in color, often with sparse hairs producing a milky sap when cut. Plant will have several stems emerging from a central point in a spreading/lateral habit until flowering. At flowering, plant bolts producing flowers at the apex of the plant. Inflorescence produced at the plant apex. A broad leafy inflorescence, yellow in color. Individuals flowers are actually small and contained within the leafy inflorescence.
Description
Annual weed flowering in spring. Present along roadsides, pastures, and infrequently mowed turf — more often present on piedmont or finer textured soils, rather than in coastal plain regions. Often inconspicuous and unseen until flowering begins in the spring.