''Euphorbia mesembryanthemifolia'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the spurge family (

Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae (), the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of Euphorbia, the type genus of the family. Most spurges, such as ''Euphorbia paralias'', ar ...

). Common names include seaside spurge and coastal beach sandmat; Spanish: a''lfombra de arena costera'', lit. "coastal sand carpet". It is native to the Western Hemisphere, where it is found in coastal areas from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

in the United States south to

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, as well as in

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

and the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

. Its natural habitat is on beaches and rocky shores. ''Euphorbia mesembryanthemifolia'' is an erect or sprawling subshrub with opposite, glaucous leaves. It flowers year-round.

Gallery

File:Coastal Beach Sandmat (1002153154).jpg, Flowers and fruits. Buttonwood Bay, Upper Keys,

Florida Keys The Florida Keys are a coral island, coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami a ...

File:Chamaesyce mesembrianthemifolia (Jacq.) Dugand - coastal beach sandmat (3772350185).jpg, Leaf arrangement. Spittal Pond Nature Reserve, Smith's Parish, Bermuda File:Euphorbia mesembryanthemifolia (beach sandmat, alfombra de arena costera), Isabela, Puerto Rico sand dunes.jpg, Cup-like leaves capturing sand grains on seaside

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

Isabela Isabela may refer to: People with the given name * Isabela Boscov, Brazilian film critic * Isabela Corona (1913–1993), Mexican actress * Isabela Garcia (born 1967), Brazilian actress * Isabela Moraes (born 1980), Brazilian synchronized swimmer ...

, Puerto Rico File:Euphorbia mesembryanthemifolia (beach sandmat, alfombra de arena costera), growing on sand dunes in Isabela, Puerto Rico.jpg, Growing on sand dunes in

, Puerto Rico

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15390741 mesembryanthemifolia Flora of Northern America