Beetle spurge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beetle spurge |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Euphorbia
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| Species: |
eriantha
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Euphorbia eriantha is a type of plant often called the beetle spurge. It's a wild plant that grows in the deserts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, including places like California and Texas. This plant is an annual herb, which means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies all within one year.
Contents
About the Beetle Spurge
The beetle spurge is a fascinating desert plant. It's part of a big plant family called spurges. This plant is well-adapted to dry, sandy environments. It was first described in 1844 by a botanist named George Bentham.
What Does It Look Like?
This plant usually grows to be about 15 to 50 centimeters tall. That's roughly the height of a ruler or a little taller. Its leaves are long, thin, and pointed. They can be anywhere from 2 to 7 centimeters long. Sometimes, these leaves have a few tiny hairs on them. The plant's leaves can also be dark in color, ranging from greenish to purplish or even reddish.
Its Tiny Flowers and Seeds
The beetle spurge has very small flowers, only a few millimeters wide. These tiny flowers grow in a cluster at the tip of the plant's branches. This cluster of flowers is called an inflorescence. Some of these flowers have only male parts (called staminate flowers), while others have only female parts (called pistillate flowers).
After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a small fruit. This fruit is a hairy, oval-shaped capsule, about half a centimeter long. Inside this capsule, you'll find bumpy white or gray seeds. The capsule itself often has gray and black spots, making it look mottled.
Where Does It Grow?
The beetle spurge is native to the desert regions of North America. You can find it growing naturally in:
- Northern Mexico
- The southwestern United States, including:
It thrives in dry areas like the Chihuahuan Desert, the Sonoran Deserts, and the desert regions of California, including the Colorado Desert.
See also
In Spanish: Euphorbia eriantha para niños
