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Euphorbia peplis (Purple Spurge) is a species of Euphorbia, native to southern and western Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia, where it typically grows on coastal sand and shingle.[1][2][3]
It should not be confused with the similarly spelled Euphorbia peplus (Petty Spurge), a common weed.
It is a small, prostrate annual plant, the stems growing to 10-20 cm long, typically with four stems from the base. The leaves are opposite, oval, 1-2 cm long, grey-green with reddish-purple veins.[3]
At the northern edge of its range in England, it has always been rare, and is now extinct.[3][4]
References
- ↑ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Euphorbia peplis
- ↑ Flora Europaea: Euphorbia peplis
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN 0-340-40170-2
- ↑ Pearman, D. A. & Preston, C. D. (2002). The last British record of Euphorbia peplis. BSBI News 91: 25.