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Ontario Weeds: Sun spurge

Author: OMAFRA Staff
Creation Date: 01 June 2000
Last Reviewed: 01 November 2003

Return to the Ontario Weeds Gallery

Excerpt from Publication 505, Ontario Weeds, Order this publication

Table of Contents

  1. Name
  2. Other Names
  3. Family
  4. General Description
  5. Stems and Roots
  6. Flowers and Fruit
  7. Habitat
  8. Related Links

Name: Sun spurge Euphorbia helioscopia L.,

Other Names: euphorbe réveille-matin, Wartweed, réveille-matin, herbe aux verrues

Family: Spurge Family (Euphorbiaceae)

General Description: Annual, reproducing only by seed.

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Photos and Pictures

Sun spurge

Sun spurge, viewed from above.
Sun spurge, viewed from above.

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Stems & Roots: Very similar to Petty spurge but differs from it by usually being taller (5-60cm, 2-24in. high) and coarser with larger leaves (1-5cm, 2/5-2in. long), by having a whorl of 5 leaves at the tip of the stem and 5 main branches to the inflorescence umbel

Flowers & Fruit: And by having seeds which are egg-shaped to nearly spherical, 2-2.5mm (1/12-1/10in.) in diameter, black and roughened by a network of prominent vein-like ridges over the entire surface.

Habitat: Sun spurge has nearly the same distribution in Ontario as Petty spurge and occupies similar habitats.

Related Links

... on general Weed topics
... on weed identification, order OMAFRA Publication 505: Ontario Weeds
... on weed control, order OMAFRA Publication 75: Guide To Weed Control

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