Important as weeds are flowering spurge (E. corollata), of the middle and eastern United States; the leafy spurge (E. escula), naturalized from Europe in the northern United States and adjacent Canada; spotted spurge (E. maculata); prostrate spurge and the related European petty spurge (E. peplus); and sun spurge (E. helioscopia).
The west suffers from too many sturdy weeds, especially leafy spurge and spotted knapweed, which together infest 7.5m acres in Montana alone.
Sheep-grazing permits on Forest Service land are already going begging; for example, the White River National Forest in Colorado has 50 open allotments for sheep.The N-Bar Ranch in central Montana uses four bands of sheep for controlling weeds, particularly leafy spurge.
The most commonly found species are saltwort (a plant used in making soda ash) and spurge flax (a shrubby plant), while goosefoot, wormwood, and asphodel also are widespread.
Omphalea, genus of tropical shrubs or trees of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), comprising 15 species; 12 are native to the Americas, 3 to the Old World.
In the case of plants that live in arid environments, cacti from the New World and euphorbia (see spurge) from the Old World can look strikingly similar even though they are in unrelated plant families.
Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also called manioc, mandioca, or yuca, tuberous edible plant of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) from the American tropics.
Dominant species are leguminous trees, particularly catingueiras (Caesalpinia), juremas (Mimosa), and joazeiros (Zizyphus joaseiro), members of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, and Bombacaceae (a family of tropical trees with palmate leaves and large, dry or fleshy fruit).
In the many species of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), the stipules are modified into paired stipular spines and the blade develops fully.
Castor-oil plant, (Ricinus communis), large plant, of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), grown commercially for the pharmaceutical and industrial uses of its oil and for use in landscaping because of its handsome, giant, 12-lobed, palmate (fanlike) leaves.
Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), South American tropical tree of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).
