Single Record

Participant Info

Species
Euphorbia brachycera [Tithymalus brachycera] [Euohorbia montana] [Euphorbia odontadenia] [Euphorbia robusta] etc.
Family
Euphorbiaceae
CommonName
horned spurge
Presence
YES
Status
native
EarliestDate
1939
LatestDate
2017
Ecosystem
basin, shrubland, foothill, montane, sanddunes
Geobotanical
SSanjuans, NCristos, UBasin
Counties
Alamosa, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache
Passes
WildlifePreserves
Baca, Great Sand Dunes
Other Localities
Comments
In the Watershed, horned spurge is most common in the foothills of the northern Cristos, especially around the Great Sand Dunes up to Crestone—but all told, there are not many collections. Less than five come from the west side of the Valley (e.g., "Dry Creek," perhaps North Dry Creek one mile N of Rock Creek cpgd, Rio Grande Co, 1939y; Quarry trail, 5 air miles east of Del Norte, Rio Grande Co, 2024). Euphorbia brachycera is largely a plant of the Rocky Mountains, Intermountain region, and desert Southwest, its range extending from the Canadian to the Mexican border. It follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico to the Big Bend country of Texas and maybe beyond. It is native to the USA and northern Mexico. Note that the leaves may appear completely glabrous, and most are, but a few have a patch of cobwebby hair on the underside.