Euphorbia peplus

Euphorbia peplus, the petty spurge, is an annual herb that grows to heights between 5 cm and 30 cm.

This is an exotic species from Europe, North Africa and western Asia naturalised in parts of South Africa and many other sub-tropical and temperate regions. It is found on coastal sand and stony soil, often growing in ploughed fields and other disturbed land.

The stems of the petty spurge are smooth, the leaves ovate with entire margins. The cyathia are green in three-rayed umbels. The glands in the cyathia are kidney-shaped with thin appendages.

There is also an E. peplis, the purple spurge, another European annual Euphorbia that grows prostrate branches in coastal areas (iSpot; Wikipedia).