北疆大戟 bei jiang da ji

Euphorbia turkestanica Franchet, Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 5, 18: 248. 1884, not Regel (1882); Tithymalus franchetii (B. Fedtschenko) Prokhanov.

Herbs, annual, 10-17(-30) cm tall, pale green. Rootstock a slender taproot, 5-10 cm × to 2 mm. Stem single, ca. 1 mm thick, unbranched below inflorescence, light gray-green, glabrous. Leaves alternate, larger toward apex; stipules absent; petiole absent; leaf blade broadly linear, 1-1.6 × 0.3-0.5 mm, glabrous, base attenuate, margin entire, apex obtuse to subacute; midrib inconspicuous, lateral veins invisible. Inflorescence a terminal pseudumbel, lateral cymes usually absent; primary involucral leaves 2 or 3, larger than normal leaves, 1.5-2 × 0.4-0.5 cm; cymes laxly many forked; cyathophylls 2, same as normal leaves. Cyathium sessile; involucre narrowly campanulate, ca. 1.5 × 1-1.5 mm, lobes triangular, lacerate; glands 4, crescent-shaped, apex 2-horned. Male flowers many, less than involucre margin, not exserted from involucre. Female flower: ovary pedicel ca. 3.5 mm, exserted from cup; ovary smooth, glabrous; styles free; style arms slightly 2-lobed. Capsule ovoid-globose, 1-1.5 × ca. 1 mm. Seeds 6-sided-cylindric, 1.7-2 mm, light white, rugose or densely tuberculate; caruncle present, flat and inconspicuous, whitish, sessile. Fl. and fr. May-Jul.

Mountain slopes; below 1500 m. N Xinjiang [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan].