Description
Key Characters:
Growth Form:
Unbranched to many-branched annual herbs.
Stems:
Stems often rooting at the nodes, 0.8–3 dm long.
Roots:
Fibrous root system.
Leaves:
Leaves simple.
Alternate, distichous.
Blades linear to linear–lanceolate, 1.5–7(–18) cm long, 0.3–0.8 cm wide.
Margins entire.
Veins parallel.
Sessile.
Stipules absent.
Flowers:
Flowers in long pedunculate, solitary or fasciculate, few flowered cymes, bracteoles caducous.
Flowers bisexual (perfect), slightly zygomorphic, terminal and/or axillary.
Calyx of 3 sepals, sepals 2–3 mm long.
Corolla of 3 petals, petals pinkish purple or violet, 3–3.5(–6) mm long.
Stamens 2, staminodes 4.
Ovary superior, 3-carpellate, 3-celled; ovules 1 to numerous, in 1–2 rows per cell.
Fruit:
Capsules 2.5–5 mm long.
Seeds 2 per cell; 1.3–1.8 mm long; deeply pitted.
Ploidy:
2n = 20; 28; 30; 56
Habitat:
Naturalized in disturbed; mesic sites at least on windward Hawai'i.
Elevation Range: