an annual, 9–12 in. high, branched in the upper third; stem nude in the lower part, straw-coloured, minutely and sparingly scabrid-puberulous; branchlets leafy, compressed-angular, finely asperulate on the angles; leaves oblong-elliptic, rounded at both ends, 4–6 lin. long, 2–4 lin. broad, membranous and probably sensitive, glabrous, glaucous-green when dry; lateral nerves 5–6 on each side of the midrib, scarcely visible above, fairly prominent below; petiole slender, about 1/2 lin. long; stipules subulate-lanceolate, acute, membranous, 1/2 lin. long; flowers monœcious, the males in the lower part, the females in the upper part of the branchlets; male pedicels extremely short; sepals 6, obovate, rounded at the apex, 1/2 lin. long, 1-nerved, membranous, hyaline, glabrous; disc-glands 6, flat, rounded, smooth; stamens 3; filaments very short, connate into a column; anthers transverse, and so apparently dehiscing transversely; female flowers very shortly pedicellate; sepals 6, subacute, membranous, greenish, with hyaline margins, glabrous; ovary smooth; styles short, spreading from the base, with swollen bifid apices; capsules soon dehiscing, not seen entire, with very thin crustaceous walls; seeds triquetrous, rounded on the back, closely and longitudinally sulcate. null
