Herbs glabrous. Roots coarse, usually whitish. Stems erect, hollow, soft. Leaf blades elliptic to oblanceolate, base cuneate, decurrent nearly to base of petiole, apex acute to rounded, sometimes mucronate. Inflorescences dense (rachis hidden by flowers and fruits), acropetal, pedunculate, with 1 small bract subtending each pedicel; bracts greenish white, spatulate, base carinate, apex incurved, acuminate, ± erose; bracteoles 2 per pedicel, greenish white, spatulate, apex incurved, acute to rounded, ± erose. Flowers: calyx persistent, dark green with whitish margins; corolla white. Seeds longitudinally striate. x = 12.

Distribution

Introduced; Asia, Africa, introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.

Discussion

Species 2 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Sphenoclea zeylanica