Description
Key Characters:
Growth Form:
Annual herbs 10–14 dm tall.
Stems:
Stems glandular pubescent and with scattered small spines.
Roots:
Leaves:
Leaves compound.
Alternate.
Blades lanceolate, 6–8(–10) cm long, 1.7–2.5(–3) cm wide; leaflets 5–7.
Apex acute.
Surfaces sparsely glandular pubescent.
Margins entire to crenate.
Veins pinnate.
Petioles 5–10 cm long, sometimes with scattered prickles.
Stipules present, spines 2–5 mm long.
Flowers:
Flowers in elongate racemes, each one subtended by simple, subsessile bracts, in leafy terminal racemes, greatly elongating in fruit.
Flowers bisexual (perfect).
Calyx of 4 sepals; sepals (4–)6–7 mm long, glandular pubescent.
Corolla of 4 petals, petals white, rarely pinkish tinged, spatulate with a long claw, 1.5–3 cm long, covering the stamens until anthesis, subequal, distinct, spatulate, entire.
Stamens 6, inserted on the gynophore 0.5–2 mm above the petals; filaments 35–40 mm long; gynophore without a visible scar in fruit, Stamens alternate with the petals; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits.
Ovary superior, 1-celled; ovule placentation parietal.
Fruit:
Capsules cylindrical; 5.5–6.5 cm long; ca. 4 mm in diameter; 2–valved; beaked.
Seeds numerous; nearly smooth.
Ploidy:
2n = 18; 20; 24; 38; 44
Habitat:
Formerly occurring at low elevations; often near taro paddies.
Elevation Range:
0–250 m.