Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the northern Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains, Texas, and eastern North America.
Habitat: Weed of cultivated areas and abondoned gardens.
Flowers: April-July
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Growth Duration: Annual
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bees, wasps
Somewhat fleshy annual, the upright stem 2-5 dm. tall, simple or occasionally branched below, umbellately branched near the top, nearly glabrous below but with dense, soft hairs above.
Lower cauline leaves alternate, oblanceolate, narrowed to the base, 1-3 cm. long, finely serrate-dentate; floral leaves opposite or whorled, finely toothed.
Flowers naked in obconic involucres, these bearing 4 greenish-yellow glands alternate with horn-less lobes; staminate flowers numerous, included in the involucre, represented by a single stamen; pistillate flower single, protruded from the involucre.
Capsule 3-celled, smooth.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 459. 1753.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Euphorbia helioscopia in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Euphorbia helioscopia checklist entry.
OregonFlora: Euphorbia helioscopia information.
E-Flora BC: Euphorbia helioscopia atlas page.
CalPhotos: Euphorbia helioscopia photos.
USDA Plants: Euphorbia helioscopia information.
