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| Prostrate spurge seedling. |
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| Prostrate spurge fruit. |
Milky sap of prostrate spurge. |
| Similar weeds: Spotted spurge [Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small] Differs by having stems that do not root at the nodes, narrow oval to oblong leaves, and ridged, not wrinkled, seeds. |
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Life cycle: Prostrate summer annual.
Leaves: Cotyledons are oval with maroon undersides and short petioles. Opposite, pale green, egg-shaped leaves with rounded tips have small, irregular teeth along the margins and short petioles. The upper leaf surface often has a maroon watermark.
Stems: Prostrate, densely hairy stems are highly branched from the base, forming circular mats up to 16 inches in diameter. Stems may root at the lower nodes and exude a milky sap when damaged.
Flowers and fruit: Inconspicuous flowers are formed in the leaf axils. Fruit are hairy, three-lobed capsules that contain three wrinkled, three-sided, pale brown seeds.
Reproduction: Seeds. |
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Christmas trees
