Taxon: Euphorbia maculata L.

Summary

Genus:

Euphorbia

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Subfamily:

Euphorbioideae

Tribe:

Euphorbieae

Subtribe:

Euphorbiinae

Nomen number:

316683

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 1:455. 1753

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

12/22/2009 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

4 (4 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Euphorbia supina Raf.

No images

Conservation Status

CITES Appendix II – Vulnerable to Extinction

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 164.
Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2
Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: higher plants of California Note: = Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan. Note: = Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada.
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Riina, R. 2011. Review of Euphorbiaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm. via e-mail on 11 Jan.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Yatskievych, G. 1999-. Steyermark's Flora of Missouri, revised edition
Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	milk-purslane		1	Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2
English	spotted sandmat	as Chamaesyce maculata	1	Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida Note: as Chamaesyce maculata
English	spotted spurge		1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English (Canada)	hairy-fruited spurge	Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada official name	2	Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 164.
French (Canada)	euphorbe tachetée	Agriculture & Agroalimentaire Canada nom officiel	2	Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 164.
German	gefleckte Wolfsmilch		2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1296. Note: as Chamaesyce maculata
Japanese Rōmaji	ko-nishiki-sō	as Euphorbia supina	2	Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.). Note: = Euphorbia supina
Spanish	lechosilla		2	Riina, R. 2011. Review of Euphorbiaceae data for World Economic Plants, ed. 2. pers. comm. via e-mail on 11 Jan.
Swedish	fläcktörel		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	New Brunswick		Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Nova Scotia		Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Ontario		Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Québec		Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Iowa		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Minnesota		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	North Dakota		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	South Dakota		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Wisconsin		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maine		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Hampshire		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Rhode Island		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Vermont		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	West Virginia		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Kentucky		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Louisiana		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
3	Adventive	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Egypt	Sinai		Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Azores		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	China	China			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan			Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan. Note: = Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Russian Far East	Russian Federation	Primorye		Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Israel			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey			Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Switzerland			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy		incl. Sardinia, Sicily	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Corsica	Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
4	Naturalized	Northern America		United States		w.	Cronquist, A. et al. 1972-. Intermountain flora.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Paraguay			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Uruguay			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.

Native
Northern America

EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Québec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Connecticut]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Oklahoma, Wisconsin]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]

Adventive
Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Egypt [Sinai]

Naturalized
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Azores]
NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria

Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Israel, Turkey
CAUCASUS: Georgia
RUSSIAN FAR EAST: Russian Federation [Primorye]
CHINA: China
EASTERN ASIA: Japan, Taiwan

Europe

MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Switzerland, Hungary
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Bulgaria, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France (incl. Corsica), Portugal

Northern America

REGION: United States (w.)

Southern America

BRAZIL: Brazil
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay

Reference(s)

Cronquist, A. et al. 1972-. Intermountain flora.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan. Note: = Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1968. Flora europaea. 2:216.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada.
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=316683. Accessed 10 May 2026.