Plants herbs, annual. Stems erect to ascending, 3–6 dm, mostly glabrous. Leaves: petiole 5–15(–25) mm; blade oblong-lanceolate to elliptic-obovate, linear-lanceolate, or narrowly elliptic, 1.5–9(–12) cm, base rounded, margins crenate to serrate, each of proximal pair of teeth usually prolonged into caudate-setaceous point 3–5 mm, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hirsute on veins. Inflorescences solitary flowers or fasciculate or cymose, 2 or 3(or 4)-flowered. Pedicels 0–1 mm. Flowers: sepals linear-oblong to narrowly elliptic or narrowly obovate, 3–5 mm, not awned, glabrous; petals 3–5 mm; stamens 10–15(–20). Capsules cylindric, terete, not wing-angled, 3-valved, each valve terminated by bifurcate awn 1.5–2 mm, 20–40 × 1.5–2 mm, glabrous. 2n = 14.

Source: [
• 27
]. 

An erect or suberect, 30-60 cm tall, annual herb. Stem and branches glabrous. Leaves 3-4-costate, oblong-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate or somewhat elliptic-obovate, 1.5-9 cm long, 0.6-2.2 cm broad, glabrous except the sparsely hairy veins, crenate-serrate, basal serratures prolonged into filiform spreading appendages or not, acute; petiole 5-12 mm long, hairy; stipules setaceous, 2-3 mm long. Cyme 1-3(-4)-flowered, antiphyllous, short peduncled. Flowers yellow, c. 1 cm across, subsessile; bracts subulate, 3-4 mm long. Sepals linear-oblong, 4-5 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, apiculate. Petals oblong, 3-4 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, obtuse. Stamens 10-15, filaments 4-5 mm long. Carpels 3; ovary cylindric, sulcate, 3-loculed, hairy; style small, stigma sparsely papillate. Capsules 1-3 together, erect, cylindrical, 1.5-4 cm long, c. 2 mm in diameter, not ribbed, glabrous, terminated by 3 spreading bifid tips, 3-loculed, locules aseptate. Seeds angular, obliquely truncate at both ends, black.

Source: [
• 28
]. 

Flowers yellow.

Source: [
• 11
]. 

A weed of cultivation

Source: [
• 11
]. 

Fig. 18/13 (fruit, p.103).

Source: [
• 25
]. 

Seeds angular, oblong, dull dark brown, up to 0.5 mm in diameter, finely reticulate.

Source: [
• 25
]. 

Capsule a slender cylinder, 2–4 cm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, held erect, straight or slightly curved, splitting into 3 valves, glabrous to sparsely setulose, ending in 3 spreading horns, these usually bifid.

Source: [
• 25
]. 

Petals 4–5, 3.5–4.8 mm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, obovate, tapering to a short ciliate claw; stamens ± 10; ovary cylindric, 2–3 mm long, papillose.

Source: [
• 25
]. 

Sepals 4–5, 3.5–4.3 mm long, 0.5–0.6 mm wide, glabrous or with odd hairs.

Source: [
• 25
]. 

Inflorescences of 1–4-flowered glabrous fascicles; bracts up to 3 mm long, glabrous; peduncles ± 1 mm long; pedicels ± 1 mm long.

Source: [
• 25
]. 

Leaves narrowly ovate, ovate or narrowly oblong, 3–11.5 cm long, 0.6–1(–3) cm wide, margins coarsely serrate, usually with a pair of basal setae 0.6–0.9 mm long, rounded at the base, acute to subacute, glabrous above, pubescent on midrib beneath and occasionally on blade; petioles 0.6–1.4 cm long, pilose especially on upper surface; stipules up to 5 mm, glabrous.

Source: [
• 25
]. 

Annual herb, suberect or decumbent, up to 1 m tall; stems glabrous to sparsely pilose.

Source: [
• 25
]. 

Sepals c. 5 mm. long, linear, slightly broader in the upper half, bluntly acuminate, glabrous.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Ovary trigonously cylindric, papillose, 3-locular; style c. 2 mm. long, glabrous.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Stamens 8–10.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Seeds c. 1·4 × 0·8 mm., numerous, dark brown, cylindric or somewhat quadrangular-cylindric.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Capsule up to c. 4 cm. long, held more or less erect, straight or slightly curved, usually somewhat ribbed, sparsely and minutely setulose-scabrid, terminated by 3 spreading horns c. 1 mm. long; valves only shallowly pitted inside to contain the seeds.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Androgynophore almost obsolete, but annulus visible and clasping the base of the ovary.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Petals yellow, the same length as the sepals, very narrowly oblanceolate, with a basal minutely ciliolate claw c. 0·3 mm. long.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Annual herb up to c. 0·6 m. tall, usually erect but with the older branches rather spreading; branchlets at first rather compressed or angular, glabrous or sparsely pilose.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Leaf-lamina 2·5–11 × 0·6–4·5 cm., oblong to lanceolate, acute at the apex, margin serrate or serrate-crenate, rounded at the base, glabrous or sparsely setulose-pubescent on the nerves; petiole up to 2 cm. long, pilose on the upper side; stipules up to 10 mm. long, setaceous, glabrous.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Inflorescences of 1–3-flowered leaf-opposed cymes; peduncles up to 1 mm. long, glabrous; pedicels similar, up to 1 mm. long; bracts 1–2 mm. long, setaceous, glabrous.

Source: [
• 26
]. 

Erect or spreading annual herb, 0.6 m high. Capsule with 3 spreading horns at apex. Flowers yellow.

Source: [
• 29
]. 

Herbe'annuelle, parfois suffrutescente, de 0,20-1 m de haut, ± ramifiée, glabre.'Feuilles'à stipules linéaires-filiformes, de 4-9 mm de long, persistantes; pétiole de 0,4-4 cm de long, pubescent aux bords; limbe lancéolé, oblancéolé à elliptique, tronqué et muni de 2 appendices filiformes à la base, acuminé à arrondi au sommet, de 2-11 cm de long et 0,5-3,5 cm de large, densément denté-serré, glabre; nervures basales 4.'Fascicules'oppositifoliés, 2-4-flores.'Fleurs'jaunes, glabres; pédicelle de ± 0,5 mm de long, glabre; bouton oblong-obovoïde, de ± 3 mm de long, courtement apiculé; sépales étroitement elliptiques à lancéolés, courtement apiculés, de ± 4 mm de long et ± 0,6 mm de large, glabres, caducs; pétales oblancéolés, courtement onguiculés, de ± 4 mm de long et 1,5 mm de large; disque annulaire, très court; étamines ∞; ovaire cylindrique, 3-6-côtelé, éparsement pubérulent à poils simples à l'extérieur, 3-loculaire; style plus court que l'ovaire, glabre; ovules co.'Capsules'cylindriques, de 2-4 cm de long et 0,12-0,2 cm de large, terminées par un bec 3-fide; valves 3, sans cloisons.'Graines ∞ cylindriques à rectangulaires, de 1,5 mm de long et 0,7 mm de large.

Source: [
• 31
]. 

Annual herb about 0.6 m tall, usually erect but with its older branches rather spreading, branchlets at first rather compressed or angular, glabrous or sparsely pilose. Leaf-blade 25-110 x 6-45 mm, oblong to lanceolate, acute at the apex, rounded at the base, margin serrate or serrate-crenate, glabrous or sparsely setulose-pubescent on the nerves; petiole up to 20 mm long, pilose on the upper side; stipules up to 10 mm long, setaceous, glabrous. Inflorescence of 1-3-flowered leaf-opposed cymes; peduncles up to 1 mm long, glabrous; pedicels similar, up to 1 mm long; bracts 1-2 mm long, setaceous, glabrous. Sepals about 5 mm long, linear to slightly widened in the upper half, bluntly acuminate, glabrous. Petals yellow, as long as the sepals, very narrowly oblanceolate, with a minute basal claw about 0.3 mm long minutely ciliolate on the margin. Androgynophore almost obsolete but annulus visible and clasping the base of the ovary. Stamens 8-10, filamentous. Ovary trigonously cylindric, papillose, 3-locular; style about 2 mm long, glabrous. Capsule up to about 40 mm long, held more or less erect, straight or slightly curved, usually somewhat ribbed, sparsely and minutely setulose-scabrid, terminated by three spreading horns about 1 mm long; valves inside only shallowly pitted to receive the seeds; seeds numerous, dark brown, about 1.4 x 0.8 mm, cylindric or somewhat quadrangular-cylindric.

Source: [
• 32
]. 

Disturbed sandy areas.

Source: [
• 29
]. 

Savanes, rudéral.

Source: [
• 31
]. 

Widesprad as an annual weed in the tropics and sub-tropics of the Old World.

Source: [
• 32
]. 

Native to Europe and Asia.

Source: [
• 29
]. 

Recorded in our area from Natal, Swaziland, Transvaal and South West Africa/Namibia.

Source: [
• 32
]. 

Herbe comestible.

Source: [
• 31
].