May 28,
Blue Hills Reservation, Milton
Flowers in spurges are very much reduced: staminate to only
a single stamen, pistillate to a single
pistil. A single pistillate flower is surrounded
by a few staminate; this cluster is wrapped in a lobed
involucre (or floral leaves) that superficially looks like a
calyx. The structure functions like a flower and is called cyathium.