Decumbent annual with fetid, fish-like odour when crushed, branches to c. 50 cm long. Leaves shortly petiolate, deltoid, ovate or broadly trullate, c. 1–2 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide, margins entire, upper surface virtually glabrous, lower surface grey-mealy. Flowers bisexual and female, clustered in short axillary and terminal panicles; tepals 5, mealy, united to near midway; stamens 5; pericarp thinly membranous. Seed horizontal, red-brown to blackish, 1–1.5 mm diam., remaining enclosed by enlarged fruiting perianth. Flowers mostly Sep.–Mar.
VVP, VRiv, GipP, Gold, CVU, DunT, HNF. Also naturalised SA, NSW, Tas. Native to Europe. Weed of domestic and commercial gardens, but uncommon and rarely collected.
Source:
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Chenopodiaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 129–199. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
