365 Urban Species. #228: Carpetweed. #229: Spurge.
Photos by cottonmanifesto. Carpetweed growing in the sidewalk along Brookline Ave. in Boston.
Spotted spurge in an unpaved path along Parkway Road in Brookline.
Urban species #228: Carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
Urban species #229: Spurge Euphorbia maculata and E. supina
Carpetweed appears in late summer and quickly flowers and goes to seed. It can survive in sandy or compact soils, in acid or alkaline conditions, and is tolerant of flood and drought. Small wonder it has become an urban species. It appears in mowed grass, along roadsides, between paving stones and on unpaved dirt paths. Authorities disagree about whether it is native to North America--some believe it is from Central and South America, but very early records of it in the north exist. It is reported from every state except Alaska, Hawaii and Utah. Its leaves are edible, but not so terrific that much literature on the subject exists.
Spurges are a few species of weeds in a genus that boasts two thousand named species, including many popular ornamentals, notably poinsettia. Spotted and prostrate spurge are urban species favoring habitats similar to carpetweed and purslane. Spotted spurge (E. maculata) is distinguished by its leaves, each of which is marked with a reddish brown spot (reminiscent of lady's thumb). Additionally, it may grow higher off the ground than prostrate spurge (E. supina), which grows roots from its stem nodes. Spurges can be told from similar plants by the milky latex that appears when the stem is damaged. Spurges are somewhat less widely distributed than carpetweed, found mostly in the eastern states, and along the west coast.
Carpetweed and spurge are harmless, almost charming weeds, in the city. They provide green on areas that would otherwise be bare dirt or sterile paving, and are more attractive than the plantains, that grow in similar areas. But they can be annoying to gardeners and landscapers, as they will invade and present an untidy appearance. When they invade a grassy lawn, these annual plants spoil the curb-to-curb carpet look favored by typical suburban tastes.
Carpetweed.
Carpetweed flowers.
Prostrate spurge.
Spurge latex.