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Sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.)
Perennial Forbs Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas
Sandmats (Chamaesyce spp.)

General: Sandmats (Chamaesyce spp.) are low-growing, spreading perennial forbs that hug the ground to form mats to about 18-inches across. The small green leaves are paired.

Sandmats are a common component of shrub communities in washes and on bajadas in the Lower sonoran (Creosote-Bursage Flats) and Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zone.

Family: Spurge (Euphorbiaceae).

Other Names: Rattlesnake Weed

Sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.)

Plant Form: Spreading ground mat.

Height: Usually about 1-2 inches, about 5 inches.

Stems: Thin, prostrate, glabrous. Release milky sap when broken.

Leaves: Round to oblong, 1/3-inch long, entire.

Flowers: Blooms spring to fall. Flowers small and nondescript (no petals).

Seeds:

Sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.)

Habitat: Dry, well-drained sandy and gravelly soils in washes, desert flats, and bajadas.

Elevation: To about 7,500 feet

Distribution: California to Utah and Louisiana, and south into Mexico.

Comments: Although these are perennial forbs, the above-ground parts usually dry up and completely blow away during late summer.

Sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.) Sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.)
Sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.) Sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.)
Sandmats (Chamaesyce spp.)
Whitemargin Sandmat
Sandmat (Chamaesyce spp.)
Fendler's Sandmat

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
copyright; Last updated 211226

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