Heliophila pinnata L.F.

Slender, erect, wiry, dark-stemmed herbs 5-20 cm high, simple or much branched. Stem and branches minutely pulverulent or puberulous. Leaves up to 3.5 cm long, simple or 3(-5)-lobed, linear or filiform, the upper surface minutely puberulous, subtended by 2 minute stipules. Racemes lax, few-to many-flowered. Pedicels subtended by 2 minute stipules, finely puberulous; in flower 0.3-1 cm long; in fruit 0.5-2 cm long, erect-spreading or ± recurved: Sepals 1.8-3 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm broad, narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly ovate, semi-persistent; the outer 2 slightly cucullate; the inner 2 slightly saccate. Petals 2.5-6 mm long, 1-2-4 mm broad, oblong-obovate to obovate-circular, clawed; without or with a very small appendage. Filaments 1.3-2 mm and 1.7-2.4 mm long. Anthers 0.3-1.1 mm long, drying bluish-grey. Ovary linear-oblong, glabrous or puberulous; ovules 4-8, rarely 9. Fruits 0.7-3 cm long, 1.2-2 mm broad, moniliform, the 'beads' contiguous or separated by narrow waists; valves 1-nerve, smooth or puberulous; style 1-2.5 mm long, slender or stout, straight-sided or clavate. Seeds 1.3-1.6 x 1-1.3 mm when fully ripe, oblong or subcircular, narrowly margined.