Annual, rather tender, silver-green villous herb; branches prostrate, up to 20 cm. long; internodes short, 1-2.5 cm. long, 1-2 mm. in diameter.. Leaves 1-2 cm. long; leaflets 4-6 pairs, ovate-oblong, 3-4 × 2-2.5 mm. (sometimes larger in Tanzania); stipules minute, up to 1 mm. long.. Flower small, 3-5 mm. across; pedicel 2-5 mm. long, shorter than the subtending leaf.. Sepals linear-lanceolate, 1-2 × 0.5-1 mm., deciduous.. Petals yellow, 2-3 × 1-2 mm.. Stamens mostly 5 in 1 whorl, rarely 6-8 in 2 whorls; filaments 1-1.5 mm. long; anthers 0.5 mm. long.. Ovary pyriform, 0.5 mm. in diameter; style short, 0.5 mm. long; stigma pyramidal, 1 mm. long.. Fruit disc-shaped, 4-6 mm. across excluding spines; stalk up to 1 cm. long; mericarp 2-3 × 1-2 mm., with 2 median and 2 basal spines 1.5-3 mm. long (basal spines occasionally absent).. Fig. 1/7, 8.
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