Spermacoce phyteumoides Verdc.

Suberect or ± prostrate annual or perennial herb 15–40(–60) cm. tall; stems dark, covered with spreading white hairs.. Leaf-blades elliptic-lanceolate, 2–7(–14) cm. long, 2.5–10(–13) mm. wide, acute at the apex, narrowed at the base into the stipule-sheath, glabrous on both surfaces save for hairs on the midrib beneath (but even these may be absent) or densely scabrid-hairy on both surfaces; margins always scabrid with short stiff hairs; stipule-bases very hairy, 2–3 mm. long, with 3–5 purple fimbriae 2.5–4.5 mm. long; stipules supporting the leaves which subtend the inflorescences with 7 fimbriae of varying thickness ± 5–6 mm. long and colleters 1.5 mm. long.. Flowers in terminal heads very similar to those in species 30; bracteoles linear, 3–4 mm. long, ciliolate, hyaline.. Calyx-tube oblong to obconic, 1–3 mm. long, without a free limb; lobes 2, linear to lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm. long, 0.6–1.3 mm. wide, with hairy margins.. Corolla white or usually deep blue; tube 6–7 mm. long; lobes ovate-oblong, 2–4.5 mm. long, 1.2–2 mm. wide, with short to long hairs at the apex outside.. Filaments exserted 2.5 mm.. Style exserted 4 mm.; stigma 1.5 mm. wide.. Capsule straw-coloured, streaked with brown or purplish, oblong-ellipsoid or obovoid, 2.5–3 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide, 1 mm. thick, glabrous beneath, ± hairy at apex, crowned with the remains of the calyx-lobes.. Seeds chestnut-brown, narrowly oblong-ellipsoidal, 2.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, 0.6 mm. thick, dorsally convex, ventrally sulcate, rugulose.