Common name: Giant Pigweed, Black Pigweed
Trianthema portulacastrum L. APNI*
Description: Procumbent or ascending herb; stems 50 c. or more long, glabrous or sparsely hairy.
Leaves elliptic to obovate; lamina to 50 mm long, to 40 mm wide, sometimes apiculate; petiole 2–5 mm long, expanded and fused with leaf base to form a cup.
Flowers ± hidden in and fused to leaf sheath. Perianth lobes 2–4 mm long, pink to white. Stamens 10–20.
Fruit with 3 or 4 irregular projections; operculum truncate with a toothed rim, 2–3 mm long; seeds 3–12, dull black, 1 or 2 in operculum, others in base.
Distribution and occurrence: In damp places, often near rivers; weed of cultivation from trop. regions. Native of Indon., Amer., Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NWS, *NWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A. *N.T.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & J. Highet Taxon concept: A. Prescott (1984)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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