Annual herb, slightly viscid, decumbent or ascending, up to 7 dm. long.. Stems terete or longitudinally grooved; internodes weak and hollow. 3–17.5 cm. long, up to 3.5 mm. thick, mostly pilose below but becoming pubescent with glandular hairs on the younger parts towards the apex.. Leaves mostly opposite, sometimes alternate towards the base; lamina 3–5-lobed, pentagonal in outline, divided to the midrib; lobes pinnatisect to palmate-compound, the central one in particular long-attenuate to the base and averaging only 1 mm. wide on this part, hispid on both surfaces; petiole (2–)4–19 cm. long, longitudinally grooved, pubescent and glandular; stipules ovate-lanceolate, 0.3–4 mm. long (much reduced on the older stem nodes), covered with glandular hairs especially on the abaxial surface.. Inflorescence 2-flowered; peduncle 1–7.5 cm. long, pilose to glandular hairy; pedicels 4–15 mm. long; bracts often less than 2 mm. long.. Sepals ovate, 4–8 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, mucronate, 3-nerved, hyaline along the edges, pilose or pubescent and glandular on the outer surface, glandular on the inner surface.. Petals oblanceolate-spathulate, 5.5–9 mm. long, 0.5–2 mm. wide, pale lilac-mauve to bright pink, base of the claw white.. Stamens: filaments narrowly lanceolate or acicular (truncate at the base), 4–6.5 mm. long; anthers somewhat glandular, 0.2–0.3 mm. long and wide, yellow.. Ovary grooved and pubescent along the longitudinal ridges; stigmas 0.5–1 mm. long, light brown to pale cream.. Mericarps with shallow reticulate ridges, 2.2–3 mm. long, frequently with raphe at the anterior end, glabrous or occasionally shortly pubescent; mature rostrum 10–19 mm. long, pubescent.. Seeds 2–2.5 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide; testa glabrous, pale brown.. Fig. 1.
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