Flora of New Zealand Series

Glabrous, erect annual. Stems up to 35-(40) cm high, branched or not from base. Lvs alternate, exstipulate, sessile, entire, linear, obtuse at base, acuminate, 15-40 mm long. Terminal umbel usually 5-rayed, with often several axillary rays arising below; lvs subtending rays linear to narrowly ovate-elliptic; rays sometimes secondarily branched then forming conspicuous yellow, compound dichasia; lvs subtending ray-branches and cyathia deltate, obtuse. Glands elliptic-oblong; horns long, slender. Capsule smooth, deeply grooved, granulate on keels. Seeds rounded, with numerous irregular shallow pits, grey on ridges and brown in pits, 1.5-2 mm long.

N.: known from 2 areas only where it is well established, Ahipara and Rangiputa, Northland.

S.W. Europe, Mediterranean, E. to N.W. Yugoslavia 1914

Coastal cliffs.

E. segetalis was first recorded in the vicinity of Ahipara by Cheeseman, T. F., Trans. Proc. N.Z. Inst. 46: 8 (1914), and has persisted since that time. It is most easily distinguished from other N.Z. spurges by the seeds (Fig. 59) which have numerous small irregular pits.