''Euphorbia cyparissias'', the cypress spurge, is a species of plant in the genus ''

Euphorbia ''Euphorbia'' is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to t ...

''. It is native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and was introduced to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

in the 1860s as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

. Natural habitat types include dunes, pannes, coastal headlands and grasslands. In North America it is commonly found in the dry, gravelly soil of roadsides, pastures, and meadows. Cypress spurge thrives in open, disturbed areas. Euphorbe FR 2012

Description

The plant ranges from 8 inches (20 cm) to 16 inches (40 cm) in height. Its

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

-like

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s are usually green-yellow, maturing to purple or red from May to August. The mature fruit explodes, spreading seeds up to . The plant also reproduces through lateral root buds, which allow it to spread densely. It can be identified by its leaves, which are small and linear, measuring up to long by only wide.

Ecology

This plant is considered a

noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or liv ...

in many places, including

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

in the United States. Like some other non-native plants, it invades the habitat of native species. It is known to be harmful to cattle and horses, but not sheep. It can be difficult to control.

Biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

methods have been attempted, involving the release of several European insect species in North America. Certain

flea beetle The flea beetle is a small, jumping beetle of the leaf beetle family (Chrysomelidae), that makes up the tribe Alticini which is part of the subfamily Galerucinae. Historically the flea beetles were classified as their own subfamily. Though m ...

s have been effective, but there are concerns about the release of non-native insects into the region. Parasites of this species include ''

Uromyces pisi-sativi ''Uromyces pisi-sativi'' is a fungal plant pathogen. It causes small orange dots on the lower side of leaves on '' Euphorbia cyparissias''. It lives on ''Pisum'' and on ''Lathyrus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume fa ...

'', a fungus. ''

Anthrenus scrophulariae ''Anthrenus (Anthrenus) scrophulariae'', also known as the common carpet beetle or buffalo carpet beetle, is a species of beetle originally found in Europe, the Middle East and the Nearctic, which has now spread to most of the world. Adult beetle ...

'' may frequently be found on this plant. This plant is attractive as an ornamental but its invasive nature makes it necessary to control its spread; its root spread is more invasive than its ability to self-seed.

Toxicity and uses

While the roots have sometimes been used as a purgative, it can be poisonous if taken in quantity, and animals can be poisoned by eating hay containing it. Contact with the sap can cause skin reactions. WARNING: This plant has several irritants. The milky sap is a skin irritant that can cause burns/blisters in some individuals. Late season mature bracts have tiny hair like barbs. Once they are in your skin can cause mild irritation that can last for years. If you work with this plant use gloves and long sleeves. When you work this plant do not touch your skin with gloves on.

References

3) Morgan, PL Home Gardener, Adk. Mtns, NYS {{Taxonbar, from=Q148552 cyparissias Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus