All spurges exude a milky white latex. This latex can cause
severe skin reactions. When handling oblong spurge, it is
recommended to wear gloves and long sleeves and to avoid touching
eyes after contact.
Occurrence
Oblong spurge can survive under a wide range of unfavorable plant
conditions. In the mid-Klamath, it is commonly found in sandy soils
on river bars, under partial shade of willows.
Populations of oblong spurge are contained to river bars around
Somes Bar and Orleans.
Notes
This plant is less aggressive than
leafy spurge. It does
not reproduce by rhizome, but shows rapid distribution by seed.
It has a large taproot which can be difficult to remove completely.
Recommend hand pulling while soil is moist; this removal will be
followed by an overwhelming amount of seedlings, some of which will
reach maturity within the same year.
