Euphorbia supina Rafin.

Japanese: コニシキソウ(小錦草) - コニシキソウ（英語表記）Euphorbia supina Rafin.

Native to North America, this naturalized plant was discovered in Tokyo and Yokohama by Makino Tomitaro in 1895. It is now a small annual plant of the Euphorbiaceae family (illustration), commonly found in fields and roadsides all over Japan. Its thin, dark red stems branch and crawl along the ground. Its small, alternate leaves, each just under 1 cm long, have a dark red spot in the center, making it distinctive. When damaged, it exudes a white milky liquid. It flowers from July to October. The flowers are reddish brown and look like a single flower, but are actually small inflorescences consisting of several male flowers and one female flower. When the seeds absorb water, they become sticky and can be carried on shoes or other objects.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

1895年に牧野富太郎が東京と横浜で発見した北アメリカ原産の帰化植物で，現在では日本全国の畑地や路傍にごく普通にみられるトウダイグサ科の小型の一年草（イラスト）。暗赤色の細い茎が分枝しながら地上をはう。互生する長さ1cm弱の小さな葉の中央に，暗赤色の斑があるのが特徴。傷つけると白い乳液を出す。花期は7～10月ころ。花は赤褐色で，一つの花のように見えるが，雄花数個と雌花1個からなる小さな花序である。種子は水を吸うと粘り，靴などに付着して運ばれる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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