Cyathula achyranthoides Moq.

Annual (?) herb up to ± 1.2 m. tall, erect, or ascending with the lowest nodes rooting, simple or branched from the base and frequently also above.. Stems and branches terete near the base, becoming bluntly and finally more conspicuously tetragonous upwards, thinly to moderately pilose with appressed brownish hairs, especially about the somewhat swollen nodes.. Leaves elliptic-obovate, 4–16 × 1.5–8 cm., acute to distinctly acuminate above and mucronate with the shortly excurrent midrib, attenuate to the base and sessile, with scattered appressed hairs on the surfaces and usually more densely pilose along the midrib and primary venation.. Spikes terminal on the stem and branches, dense (the flowers falling early at maturity so that the spikes remain dense, rarely with remote lower flowers), ± 8 mm. in diameter and 2–10(–15) cm. long; peduncle of terminal spikes to ± 6.5 cm.; bracts deltoid-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm., membranous, mucronate with the shortly excurrent darker midrib, almost or quite glabrous; bracteoles deltoid-ovate, 2–3 mm., hyaline, ± long-pilose, the brownish midrib excurrent in a long frequently uncinate arista; flowers in very shortly pedunculate cymose clusters of 1–2 hermaphrodite flowers each subtended by 2–3 modified flowers.. Tepals oblong-lanceolate, 3–5 mm., 3-nerved with the lateral nerves strongest in the outer tepals, long-pilose, midrib joined by the lateral nerves just below the apex and excurrent to form a short mucro, or in one or more of the outer tepals an uncinate arista.. Modified flowers of a number of uncinate-aristate processes, the outer deltoid-ovate below and bracteole-like, the remainder gradually narrower and transitional to ± 2–4 hooked spines; flower clusters ovoid, finally deflexed, falling as a unit to form a burr ± 6 mm. long with the spines much exceeding the fertile flower(s).. Filaments very slender, 1.75–2 mm., delicate, the pseudostaminodes subulate, less than half the length of the filaments, entire or dentate.. Style slender, 1 mm.. Capsule ovoid, 2 mm., delicate save for the narrow firm apex.. Seed ovoid, 1.75 mm., yellowish brown, smooth and shining.

It is a tropical plant.