Euphorbia hyssopifolia L., Euphorbiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Chamaesyce hyssopifolia (L.) Small; Euphorbia brasiliensis Lam.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: zi ban da ji

English: hyssop-leaf sandmat

Spanish: golondrina, tripa de pollo

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Erect to ascending annual herb up to 60 cm or more in height with red or green, glabrous stems and milky sap.  Leaves simple, opposite, blade oblong to linear-oblong, 0.8-3 cm long, round to obtuse at the tip, rounded to oblique at the base; surfaces glabrous or slightly pilose; margins serrate; petiole 1-2 mm long.  Inflorescence of leafy axillary cymes, ultimately in several cyathia with a tiny, glabrous, 4-lobed involucre bearing 5 glands and a pink or white appendage.  Corolla absent.  Female flower 1, consisting of 1 stamen.  Fruit a glabrous, 3-lobed, subglobose schizocarp 1.5-2 mm long, broadest below the middle, splitting into 3 one-seeded segments.  Distinguishable by its glabrous herbaceous stems, milky sap, opposite leaves, short leafy cymes, tiny white-flowered cyathia (a kind of inflorescence), and tiny 3-lobed splitting fruit.  Easy confused with Euphorbia hypericifolia."  (Whistler & Steele, 1999; p. 48).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "sparingly naturalized in low elevation, dry, disturbed sites" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 610, 1874).  On Kwajalein, Marshalll Islands, "uncommon as a weed of disturbed places" (Whistler & Steele, 1999; p. 48).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "From southern United States to Argentina and the West Indies, naturalized in the Paleotropics" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 610).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1991) (voucher ID: PTBG 37015) Taxon name on voucher: Chamaesyce hyssopifolia (L.) Small
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 610) Voucher cited: Stone 3014 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 610)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1999) (p. 3) Voucher cited: C. Imada 98-2 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 610)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 11) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H70115 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 610)
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 48) Vouchers cited: Herbst 8949, Whistler 11189
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1998) (voucher ID: PTBG 43963) Taxon name on voucher: Euphorbia hyssopifolia
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll	introduced invasive	Bruegmann, Marie M. (1999) (p. 2) Voucher cited: Bruegmann 2029 (BISH) Uncommon

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Disturbed areas along railways and roads. Hainan.
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 186)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Disturbed areas along railways and roads.

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Euphorbia hyssopifolia, please let us know.