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Taxon  Report  
Euphorbia peplus  L.
Petty spurge
Euphorbia peplus is an annual herb that is not native to California.
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Bloom Period
Genus: Euphorbia
Family: Euphorbiaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Skin irritation from touching the sap of this plant.

Habitat: disturbed

Communities: weed, characteristic of disturbed places

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
PLANTSGalarhoeus peplus
PLANTSTithymalus peplus
Information about  Euphorbia peplus from other sources

[Wikipedia] Medicinal Use: The plant's sap is toxic to rapidly replicating human tissue, and has long been used as a traditional remedy for common skin lesions. The active ingredient in the sap is a diterpene ester called ingenol mebutate. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/21/2024).