Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Plants annual.

Stems: Stems glabrescent proximally, pubescent distally, becoming glabrous at maturity. Stems erect-ascending to prostrate, branched mostly at base and in proximal 1/2, 0.1–0.5 m.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades ovate, obovate-rhombic to narrowly ovate, sometimes lanceolate, 1.5–3(–4) × 0.5–1.5(–2) cm. Apex rounded, obtuse, or emarginate, mucronate. Base cuneate. Margins entire to undulate-erose. Petioles ± equaling blade. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Inflorescences axillary, congested clusters. Bracts of pistillate flowers lanceolate or linear, 1–1.5 mm, 1/2 as long as tepals. Plants monoecious: Pistillate flowers: tepals 5, connate in proximal 1/3 (entirely distinct in all other species), with 3 prominent veins abaxially, spatulate or somewhat clawed, equal or subequal, 2–3 mm, apex rounded or retuse, mucronate; style branches somewhat spreading; stigmas 3. Staminate flowers intermixed with pistillate; tepals (4–)5; stamens 2–3.

Fruit: Utricles cylindric or narrowly turbinate; 2–2.5 mm; ± equaling tepals; smooth proximally or roughened toward tips; indehiscent or tardily dehiscent. Seeds dark reddish brown to black; lenticular; 0.8–1 mm diam.; shiny.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

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