Description of species
Annual, erect, 3-10 cm tall herbs. Root thick at base gradually narrow
towards apex, slightly angular, deep yellow. stem much branched from the
base, branches hollow, hollow, nodes prominent, glabrous. Radical leaves
numerous, leaf-base sheathy, minutely hairy, 1-2-pinnate, leaf-segments
3-5 mm long, ternately lobbed, sparsely pubscent, drying at anthesis;
cauline leaves similar, smaller, petiole short, narrowly sheathy-base,
sparsely short hairy on margins, usually 1-pinnate, each segment
termately lobed, pubescent. Inflorescence terminal and axillary
leaf-opposed umbels. umbellets — flowered. Peduncle ribbed,
glabrous. Rays 3-7, unequal, peripheral longer than the inner ones.
Involucre of 5, 2.5-3.5 mm long bracts broader in the middle and narrow
at tip, long pointed, margin scarious, ciliate, minutely hairy green
midrib. Involucel of 2-2.4 mm long, obovate, oblong, transprarent,
membranous bractlets, pubescent along midrib, distinctly ciliate along
margins. Flower pedicellate, pedicel 2.0-3.1 mm long, bisexual, 2.7-3.2
mm long, white tinged pale purple. Calyx-teeth reduced. Corolla
polypetalous, petals 5, obovate to obcordate, emerginate, sparsely hairy
on margins and outside, outer petal slightly rotate, 2.7-3.2 mm long,
white tinged pale purple, inflexed, tip long pointed. Stamens 5, free,
filament 3-4 mm long, alternipetalous, inflexed in bud, slightly longer
than petals; anthers bithecous, adnate, yellow, hairy near the base,
dehiscence longitudinal; pollen grains subrectangular, rugulate at the
equatorial region, exine thicker at the equatorial zone. Ovary
bicarpellary syncarpous, inferior, bilocular, sparsely hairy; styles
two, 1-1.4 mm long, persistent; stigmas two, slightly swollen, not
capitate. stylopodium swollen at base, progressively become thin
upwards, crowning the ovary, persistent. Fruit a schizocarp, 2-3 mm
long, 0.5-1.2 mm wide, elliptic oblong, narrow at base, gradually
turning wide above, persistent, mericarps two, dorsally compressed,
primary and secondary ribes obscure, sparely hairy with simple hair and
a few intermixed with T-shaped hair with conspicous thick base, green,
turning straw-coloured, shining.