cypress spurge
Family
EuphorbiaceaeScientific Name
Euphorbia cyparissias
Synonyms (former Scientific Names):
Galarhoeus cyparissias
Tithymalus cyparissias
Habit
An invasive perennial that reproduces by seed and lateral root buds. Cypress spurge emits a milky sap when broken, and is very similar to leafy spurge, which is an extremely aggressive weed that more commonly occurs in the western United States.
Leaves
Leaves are linear, approximately 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches long and 1 to 2 mm wide. Upper stem leaves that occur near the inflorescence are yellow or yellowish green in color. All leaves emit a milky sap when broken. Stems are without hairs and green to yellowish green in color, branching in the upper portions. Stems also emit a milky sap when broken.
Identifying Characteristics
Plants with linear leaves with yellowish-green flowers. Additionally, the fact that all parts of these plants emit a milky sap when broken readily identifies them as a Euphorbia species. Leafy spurge is similar in appearance, but is much taller with wider leaves that aren't nearly as linear in outline as those of cypress spurge.
Flower Seed Head
Flowers typically bloom from March to May in Virginia. Flowers are greenish yellow to yellow in color, and are clustered in bunches at the ends of stems.
Seed Fruit
A capsule 2 to 3 mm long.
Where Found
Cypress spurge is a weed of pastures, hay fields, fence rows, roadsides, and landscapes.
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
pencil
Dominant Flower Color
Varies:
yellow,
green
Leaf Hairs
no hairs
Leaf Shape
needle
Leaf Margin
entire
Leaf Stalk
longer than leaf
Stem Hairs
no hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
present
Root Structure
rhizomes present
Life Cycle
perennial
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb