Dwarf Spurge - Euphorbia exigua

A small plant 5 to 20 cm high with stems much branched from base and containing latex. The flowers are green.

A similar size to Petty Spurge (E peplus)

Glabrous plant, with flowers are similar to Petty Spurge; glands on the cyathium (the cup shaped structure that bears the male and female flowers) are concave on the outer edge, with two points.  Leaves linear to narrowly oblong.  

Photo of the plant in habitat and of the details of the flowers (RPR)

On arable land often in limestone areas, less frequently occurring in other areas of disturbed ground such as gardens, waste ground and bare patches in dry grassland.

In flower from June to October.

Annual.

Widespread and fairly frequent, although often local in England and Wales and possibly declining.

Now only occasional and local in Leicestershire and Rutland, declining due to herbicide application. It is mainly found in the limestone areas of East Rutland.

In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 103 of the 617 tetrads, and in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger 1971) in 42  tetrads.

In the current checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Alien (archaeophyte); now nearly scarce.

It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) because of its threat-level and recent decline.