Euphorbia dallachyana
Baill.Prostrate, ascending or decumbent perennial herb, glabrous; stems to c. 20 cm long, much-branched, becoming woody at base, not rooting at nodes. Leaves opposite, ovate or ovate-oblong to suborbicular, 2–10 mm long, 1.5–5 mm wide, apex obtuse or notched, base asymmetric, margins serrulate to entire; petioles to 0.5–1.5 mm long; stipules united between petioles, triangular, entire, notched or irregularly (but not deeply) toothed, to 0.2–1.1 mm long. Cyathia solitary in uppermost axils or terminal on short branchlets; peduncles 0.5 mm–5 long; involucre turbinate 0.6–0.9 mm long; glands reniform, 0.1–0.2 mm long, 0.2–0.4 mm wide; gland appendages conspicuous to inconspicuous, 0.05–0.3 mm long, 0.2–0.6 mm wide, pink or white; female flowers with styles bifid for up to 1/2 of their length. Capsule subglobose, 1.5–2.2 mm long, 1.5–2.4 mm diam., keeled, smooth, glabrous; seeds quadrangular-oblong, 1.1–1.5 mm long, 0.8–1 mm tangentially, 0.7–0.9 mm radially, smooth to rugulose between ribs, white to pink or brownish, caruncle absent. Flowers throughout the year.
LoM, MuM, Wim, VVP, VRiv, MSB, RobP, MuF, GipP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGU, HNF. WA, NT, SA, Qld, NSW. Widespread in inland parts of Victoria where native, as well in western region of Melbourrne, but also collected from railway yard at Cranbourne, usually growing on heavier soils.
The vast majority of plants previously known as Euphorbia drummondii in Victoria belong to this species (a few collections from the far north-west are E. multifaria). E. drummondii occurs in WA, NT, Qld and northern NSW It differs from E. dallachyana inter alia by the deeply bipartite stipules.
Euphorbia dallachyana is easily confused with the introduced E. serpens, but differs in the stems not rooting at nodes, and in generally having larger capsules and seeds, but see key for additional differences.
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Euphorbiaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 55–82. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
SpinningHalford, D.A.; Harris, W.K. (2012). A taxonomic revision of Euphorbia section Anisophyllum Roeper (Euphorbiaceae) in Australia. Austrobaileya 8(4): 481-484. Austrobaileya 8(4): 441–600.
