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

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:

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.