Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual herbs. 10–30 cm tall, branched from base.

Stems: Stem ascending, light green or purple, glabrous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blade ovate or ovate-rhombic, 1.5-4.5 × 1-3 cm. Apex notched, with a mucro. Base cuneate. Margins entire or slightly undulate. Petioles 1-3.5 cm. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flower clusters axillary, those of terminal clusters erect spikes or complex thyrsoid structures. Bracts and bracteoles oblong, shorter than 1 mm. Tepals light green, oblong or lanceolate, 1.2-1.5 mm, with a midvein adaxially, apex acute. Stamens slightly shorter than perianth. Ovary superior; stigmas 3 or 2, falling off when utricles ripen.

Fruit: Utricles exceeding perianth; compressed-ovoid; ca. 3 mm; indehiscent; slightly rugose to nearly smooth. Seeds black to brownish black; circular; ca. 1.2 cm in diam.

Ploidy: 2n = 34.

Habitat:

Elevation Range: