Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Stillingia spinulosa is a species of flowering plant in the euphorb family known by the common name annual toothleaf. It is native to the southwestern United States where it occurs in the creosote scrub of the deserts. It is an annual or perennial herb producing a clump of thick, leafy stems approaching a meter in maximum height. The alternately arranged leaves have shiny pointed oval blades 2 to 4 centimeters long and up to 1. 2 centimeters wide which are lined with sharp teeth. The inflorescence is a stout spike of flowers 1 to 2 centimeters long. The plant is monoecious, and each spike has several male flowers at the tip and 1 or 2 fruit-bearing female flowers below these. Neither type of flower has petals. The ovary of the female flower develops into a three-lobed greenish capsule about half a centimeter wide. There is a tiny rough-surfaced seed in each of the three chambers of the fruit.

Plant type

Annual herb, Perennial herb

Size

3 ft Tall

Calscape icon
Color

Green

Plant communities

Creosote Bush Scrub

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 1 likely

Confirmed Likely

Southern Emerald

Synchlora frondaria