Herbs, annual or perennial, suffruticose in age, 0.6–1.5 m, sparsely branched in proximal 1/2, usually with 1 main stem. Stems erect, hairs scattered, appressed, distinctly bilateral, 4-rayed, not sublepidote, swollen-based, or few, minute, marginal, simple hairs. Inflorescences axillary, solitary flowers at first, later congested or loose terminal spikes 1–2 cm, these in distal leaf axils or terminating each branch; floral bracts usually 2-fid, 3–6 × 1 mm, or flowers subtended by leaf and stipules. Pedicels 0.5–2 mm; involucellar bractlets basally adnate to calyx for 0.5–1 mm, lanceolate, subfalcate, 4–6 × 0.8–1 mm, ± equaling calyx lobes, apex acuminate. Flowers: calyx connate for 1/4–1/3 its length, broadly campanulate, 5–6 mm, to 7–11 mm in fruit, surface moderately hairy, hairs simple, 2–4-rayed, mixed with scattered, 4–6-rayed, stellate, minute hairs; corolla campanulate to wide-spreading, yellow to pale yellow-orange, 12–17 mm diam., petals obovate, asymmetrically lobed, 6–7 × 3–4 mm, exceeding calyx by 2 mm; staminal column 2–2.5 mm, sparsely stellate-puberulent; style (9–)11–13(–16)-branched. Schizocarps 4–7 mm diam.; mericarps tardily shed from calyx, (9–)11–13(–16), 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 × 1.1 mm, margins angled, sides radially ribbed, narrowly-notched, with 3 minute, apical cusps 0.1–0.4 mm, 1 at proximal-apical surface, 2 at distal-apical surface, moderately hairy on dorsal 1/3, hairs erect, minute, simple or 2–rayed, and erect, simple, rigid hairs 0.5–1 mm, minutely hirsute with ascending, simple hairs 0.1–0.5 mm mixed with minute, simple or 2-or 3-rayed, stellate hairs. Seeds 1.5–1.7 mm. 2n = 48.
Home