Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual herbs.

Stems: Stems numerous, ascending, filiform, 0.4–1.5(–2) dm long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Basal leaves in a rosette, cauline leaves whorled 5–10 per node. Basal leaves linear–spatulate to narrowly oblanceolate, basal leaves 1–1.5 cm long, 0.2–0.3 cm wide, stem leaves linear; 1–2 cm long, ca. 0.1–0.15 cm wide. Surfaces glaucous. Margins entire. Petioles 0.8–1.1 mm long. Stipules membranous.

Flowers: Flowers in axillary in verticils. Flowers small, bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic, the capillary pedicels often longer than leaves, filiform. Calyx of 5 sepals, elliptic to elliptic–obovate, ca. 1 mm long, reticulate–nerved, margins scarious, persistent. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens usually 5; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 3-celled, axile placentation; ovules anatropous.

Fruit: Capsules loculicidal; subglobose; 1.5–1.8 mm in diameter. Seeds finely reticulate; numerous; true endosperm absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 18

Habitat: Low elevation dry sites.

Elevation Range: