Thesium funale L.

A very slender woody undershrub branched from the base; branches terete, closely sulcate, glabrous; leaves very few or almost entirely absent, or sometimes especially on the young annual plants fairly numerous, acicular, acute or subacute, slender, 1/3-3/4 in. long, glabrous; flowers small arranged in rather lax elongated spikes; bracts narrowly lanceolate, with acute blackish tips, equal in length to the peduncle, glabrous; bracteoles 2, rather shorter than but very similar to the bracts; peduncle stout; perianth more or less urceolate, 3/4-1 lin. long, with external glands, and a ring of hairs at the throat; segments ovate-elliptic to linear, subacute, 2/3-3/4 lin. long, with a dense apical beard; anthers exserted, 1/4 lin. long; stigma sessile; fruits ellipsoid-globose, 1 3/4 lin. long, strongly 10-ribbed, prominently reticulate between the ribs.