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.