Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Malpighiales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
FAMILY
Euphorbiaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Virtually the whole plant is covered with short stinging hairs. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cnidoscolus urens var. stimulosus
FAMILY
Euphorbiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 12 (2016)
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Cnidoscolus urens var. stimulosus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 107-01-001:
Cnidoscolus stimulosus FAMILY Euphorbiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Bivonea stimulosa
COMMON NAME:
Spurge-nettle, Tread-softly, Bull-nettle, Finger-rot
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_cnst_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm060423_020
April Charleston County SC
Francis Marion National Forest
Leaves deeply 3 to 5-lobed and lobes toothed (maple leaf like), per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).
)
JK Marlow jkm180504_1691
May Meriwether-Talbot Counties GA
Sprewell Bluff WMA
Beset with stinging trichomes, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
JK Marlow jkm080713_039
July Aiken County SC
Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve
Central flower [of each cyme] usually pistillate, lateral usually staminate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm080713_075
July Aiken County SC
Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve
Upright spherical to cylindrical pods covered by stinging hairs, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).
)
JK Marlow jkm090717_094
July Georgetown County SC
Hobcaw Barony
)
Jerry Bright jeb_mg_6501
September Orangeburg County SC
Pollinator at work: Greater Bee Fly, Bombylius major.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
FAMILY
Euphorbiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cnidoscolus urens var. stimulosus
FAMILY
Euphorbiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 12
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2015)
Cnidoscolus urens var. stimulosus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 107-01-001:
Cnidoscolus stimulosus
FAMILY
Euphorbiaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Bivonea stimulosa
2049
Forb
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, dry sandy woodlands, other dry sandy soils, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Coastal Plain (rare in Piedmont)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Has milky sap (latex)
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Stinging trichomes present
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
Leaves have petioles.
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
5-lobed salverform calyx
Petals absent
10-30 stamens united at base
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p036
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p233
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p292
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p153
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p159
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p046
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p137
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p178
- Wildflowers of the Sandhills Region (Sorrie, 2011) p103
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