Euphorbia platyphyllos L.
broad-leaved spurge
Glabrous or hairy, erect annual. Stems up to c. 1 m high, branched or not at base. Lvs alternate, exstipulate, sessile, finely serrate, obovate to oblong-lanceolate, acute, cordate at base, 10-40-(60) mm long. Terminal umbel usually 5-rayed, with usually few to several axillary rays arising below; lvs subtending rays similar to stem lvs; rays secondarily branched and then forming compound dichasia; lvs subtending ray-branches and cyathia all deltate. Glands suborbicular, entire. Capsule shallowly grooved, with conspicuous tubercules. Seeds smooth, rounded, slightly flattened, usually olive-brown, 1.8-2.2 mm long.
N.: Auckland City.
S., C., and W. Europe, W. Caucasia 1935
Waste places.
The similarity of this sp. to E. stricta makes it difficult to be sure of the distribution of either sp. Broad-leaved spurge is very similar to E. stricta, but is generally taller and stouter with all of the infl. lvs of similar shape. Some N.Z. material does not satisfactorily match descriptions in European Floras for either E. platyphyllos or E. stricta, but appears intermediate. The seeds of the 2 spp. are similar, although those of E. platyphyllos (Fig. 59) are generally larger.
