Emex australis

Prostrate or decumbent, somewhat fleshy herb with stems spreading for c. 50 cm from a basal rosette. Leaves ovate to broadly oblong, 2–8 cm long, 1–5 cm wide, obtuse at apex, truncate or shallowly cordate at base; margins often undulate and/or crenate; petiole normally longer than lamina. Male inflorescences c. 2–7 cm long; perianth segments c. 2 mm long. Female flowers subsessile, fruiting perianth 7–11 mm long, 4–6 mm wide at the widest point (just below the spines), the sides broadly ribbed and indented, with a basal concavity, spines slender, spreading to c. 10 mm diam., inner segments c. 3 mm wide at apex of tube, rounded, with a short apical mucro, reticulate. Nut ovate, broadly trigonous below, triquetrous toward the acute apex, 4–5 mm long, brown, smooth, retained within the woody fruiting perianth. Flowers most of year, mainly Apr.–Nov.