Heliophila lactea Schltr.

Erect annual herbs 15-55 cm high, laxly branched, sometimes the stem becoming sub-woody towards the end of the season. Stem glabrous or rarely only the lower few nodes puberulous, often glaucous. Leaves 3.5-9 cm long, 0.5-1 mm broad, filiform or linear, simple, glabrous. Racemes lax, several-to many-flowered. Pedicels glabrous or puberulous at the base, in flower 5-9 mm long; in fruit 0.6-1.3 cm long, sharply reflexed or reflexed-spreading. Sepals 4.3-6.5 mm long, 1.3-2 mm broad, narrowly oblong, glabrous; outer 2 cucullate; inner 2 saccate. Petals 5.8-12 mm long, 2.5-9 mm broad, narrowly obovate to subcircular-obovate, clawed, with a conspicuous appendage. Filaments 3-5.5 mm and 3.5-6 mm long, the short ones each with an appendage. Anthers 1.5-2.8 mm long. Ovary linear; ovules 40-80. Fruits 1.5-6.5 cm long, 1-1.8 mm broad, linear with straight margins; valves 1-nerved, bulged by the seeds, glabrous or minutely puberulous in the lower half; style 1-6 mm long, straight or slightly tapering or the short ones slightly swollen Seeds 0.7-1.3 x 0.5.0-9 mm, suborbicular.