Description
Key Characters:
Growth Form:
Annuals or perennials, 30–100 cm.
Stems:
Stems sparsely branched, (often decumbent), glabrous or glabrescent to slightly scabrous (sometimes glandular–pubescent).
Roots:
Leaves:
Leaves compound.
Alternate.
Blades oblanceolate to rhombic-elliptic, 1–3.5 × 0.5–1.7 cm.
Apex usually acute to obtuse, sometimes acuminate.
Surfaces with curved hairs on veins Abaxial surface, glabrous adaxially.
Margins entire or serrulate-ciliate.
Pinnately veined.
Petioles (winged proximally), 0.5–3.5 cm.
Stipules present 0–0.5 mm.
Flowers:
Flowers in racemes 2–4 cm (8–15 cm in fruit); bracts trifoliate, 10–35 mm. pedicels 11–21 mm (18–30 mm in fruit).
Flowers bisexual (perfect).
Sepals yellow, lanceolate, 2.5–4 × 0.2–0.3 mm, margins denticulate, ciliate, glabrous.
Corolla of 4 petals, petals white or purple–speckled (2 central ones with yellow transverse band abaxially), oblong to narrowly ovate, 7–10 × 1.5–2.3 mm.
Stamens yellow, 5–7 mm; anthers 1–2 mm.
Ovary superior, 2–3 mm, glabrous; style 0.5–1.4 mm. Gynophore 4–12 mm in fruit.
Fruit:
Capsules 40–70 × 3–4 mm.
Seeds 4–25; reddish brown to black; reniform; 1–1.5 mm; arillate.
Ploidy:
Habitat:
Roadsides; vacant lots; canal banks; lawn edges in sun or shade.
Elevation Range:
0–200 m.