Spreading annual; stems fine, to c. 30 cm long, becoming wiry and slightly woody at base, glabrous or with a few minute prickles. Leaves and stipules subsessile, c. equal, in whorls of 6–8 below, decreasing to 2 on flowering branches, linear to oblanceolate, 3–10 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, acute and often mucronate, surfaces more or less glabrous, margins with tiny antrorse prickles. Inflorescences 3–12-flowered; peduncles mostly 10–15 mm long; pedicels mostly 2–5 mm long. Corolla 0.4–0.7 mm diam., yellow, tinged red. Fruit subglobose, 0.4–0.8 mm long; mericarps reniform, touching one another, covered with tubercles or papillae. Flowers Sep.–Jan.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, VAlp. Also naturalised WA, SA, NSW, NI, ACT, Tas. Native of Europe to South-east Asia. A widespread weed of drier inland habitats.
Source:
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Rubiaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 616–642. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
