Euphorbia thymifolia

The soil on this part of Pantanal (between Corumbá and Miranda) is in many places fine sand – just like a desert or a beach.

Just after a couple of hundred metres on the private road leading to Pousada Xaraés you’ll encounter the deep sand – only passable by large trucks and 4x4s. It was here I first noticed the “sandy” flora in bloom.

After millennia of floods, each annual flood bringing a load of fine silt and particles from afar, the accumulation of sand is sufficient in some places that specific plant species have adapted to this type of soil. Most of the plants are very small, and you must use a magnifying glass to even see some of the inflorescences!

This species had the smallest of all the flowers I encountered!

Native range of euphorbia thymifolia is Mexico to South America.