Welcome to Catnapin's

Weed Gallery

Euphorbia - Leafflower

The flower parts of the Euphorbiaceae family are complex. What looks like a flower petal is made up of the nectar gland and the gland appendage.  The nectar glands attract and reward insects to pollinate.  From the center of the "flower" a single, 3 lobed pod grows out on a stem.  Be careful.  Many Euphorbs have a milky sap that can irritate your skin.

Euphorbiaceae - Spurge family

Knotweed Leaf-flower (Smartweed Leaf-flower) Phyllanthus polygonoides

Reclined plant is about 8" long.  I missed the flower.  Seed pod "petals" are actually sepals.  Five part pod about 1/8" wide.

Photo taken in Taylor County, Texas, May 2005

(Native of Texas)

Similar Species

Abnormal Leaf-flower (Drummond's Leaf-flower) Phyllanthus abnormis var abnormis (Phyllanthus drummondii, Phyllanthus garberi)

No petal-like sepals.  Toxic to cattle.  (Native of most of Texas)

Carolina Leaf-flower Phyllanthus caroliniensis

Branched upright plant.  Various sized, ovoid leaves.  Widely spaced leaf nodes.  Very short peduncle of flower and fruit.  Peduncle and sepals are red.  (Native of east and central Texas)

Euphorbiaceae - Spurge family

Longstalked Leaf-flower Phyllanthus tenellus

Tiny greenish-white flowers have 5 petals.  Three part seed pod about 1/8" wide, with two seeds in each part.  Pod "petals" are actually sepals.  When the seed pod opens the seeds are forcibly ejected, sending them flying.  Long peduncle of flower and fruit grow from leaf nodes.  Alternating ovoid leaflets with a projecting tip at the apex in older leaves.  Upright plant is about 18" tall.

Photos taken in Van Zandt County, Texas, November 2006

(Native of Texas)

Email    wildflowers"at"catnapin.com

to reduce spam, change "at" to @

please be specific