Citation: Hassall, Aust. J. Bot. 25:441 (1977).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Rough-seeded spurge.

Description:
Glabrous, more ascending than decumbent, possibly a short-lived perennial, often ephemeral in the desert, semisucculent with copious milky latex, to 20 cm high (in S.Aust.), branching along the somewhat corky stem near the yellowish-brown base, arising from a long tap root (in S.Aust.) or several shallow roots elsewhere; branches green, with scars of peduncles and leaves; leaves oblanceolate-ovate, 10-30 x 3-10 mm, obtuse, attenuated into a distinct 5-10 mm long filiform petiole, readily caducous, lamina entire or distally serrulate, venation reticulate, inconspicuous.

Cyathia solitary, in axils or terminal, on peduncles to 1 mm long; involucre campanulate, c. 1 mm long, intervening lobes bent inwards; glands peltate, elliptic, c. 0.5 mm long, entire, without appendages or horns, yellow; male flowers in 5 bundles each with several glabrous stamens; styles erect, cleft half way into 6 filiform recurved stigmas.

Capsule drooping, depressed-ovoid, moderately 3-lobed, 3.5-4 x 3-3.5 mm, slightly granulate on the back; seed truncate-quadrangular-ovoid, 2.5-3 x 1.5-1.7 mm, with 1 ventral and 3 distinct dorsal tuberculate ridges, irregularly papillose on the sides, light-brown, with dark-brown to purplish spots; caruncle peltate, forming a lunate hood, 0.8-1 mm long, brown, often caducous.

	Euphorbia parvicaruncula habit, twig, cyathium, fruit and seed.
Image source: fig 402c in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Hassall (1977) Aust. J. Bot. 25:p. 442, fig. 6; p. 444, fig. 7c; Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 457.

Distribution:  Usually occurs on hard duplex soils or desert loam in inland Australia. S.Aust.: NW, LE, GT, FR, EA, MU, SL.   W.Aust.; N.T.; Qld; N.S.W. Conservation status: native Flowering time: at any time of the year.

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

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: Differs from E. tannensis subsp. eremophila which has thinner stems and a bigger hat-shaped caruncle; differs from E. stevenii which has acarunculate and minutely but densely tuberculate seeds.

Author: Not yet available