Citation: L., Sp. PL 456 (1753).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Sickle-leaved spurge, sickle spurge.

Description:
Glabrous glaucous annual, rarely biennial; stems up to 40cm, simple or with 2 or 3 rarely to 7 branches from the base with many (to 16) axillary rays distally which repeatedly fork up to 2-5 times into rays or raylets; cauline leaves sessile, obovate or spathulate to linear-oblong, 5-30 x 3-5 mm, cuneate, acuminate or truncate, entire, central nerve prominent on lower face and ending in a mucro; ray leaves like the cauline; raylet leaves asymmetrically suborbicular or broadly elliptic-ovate, 1-10 rarely 20 mm long and 1-10 mm wide, acuminate to aristate, subentire, green, tinged red all over or on the margins only.

Cyathia single, axillary or 1 or 2 terminal, on short peduncles to 0.5 mm long; involucre campanulate, to 1 mm long and wide, green-yellow; glands lunate, c. 0.5 mm long, with 2 short mucro-like horns; styles shortly divided into 2 clavate tips, rotate.

Capsule ovoid, 3-lobed, 1.5-2 x 1-1.25, shallowly furrowed lengthwise but otherwise smooth; seed flattened-ovoid-quadrangular, c. 1.2 x 0.8 mm, with 3 distinct white ribs and a fourth rib replaced by a groove, pale-grey or brown, furrowed transversely with white ribs; acarunculate.

	Euphorbia falcata twig, cyathium, fruit and seed.
Image source: fig 401g in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Fiori & Paoletti (1901) Iconographiae florae Italicae, fig. 2596; Hegl (1924) Illustrierte Flora von Mittel-Europa 5, 1:fig. 1795.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: YP, SL.   N.S.W.   Native to Europe; now widespread as a weed and ruderal plant throughout the world. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: June — Dec.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available