Spiderling
Boerhavia intermedia
Photographed in Phoenix, Arizona, USA in 24 June 2007. This photo is also available at Wikimedia where there are additional images of Nyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock) species. Enlarged views of flowers and nearly mature fruits.
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RANGE: Abundant
weed on vacant city lots, fallow farm fields and in mostly disturbed habitats
in the Sonoran Desert. This includes major washes. Ranges across much of the
southern United States and into tropical America.
LEAVES: Opposite, somewhat crowded leaves are unequal in size and the
nodes are conspicuously swollen.
FLOWERS: Minute flowers open in early morning and whither with first
heat. The flowers are arranged into small umbels that are in turn born on
highly branched and divided panicles.
SEEDS: Small seeds in obovate capsules that are less than three
millimetes long.
SUMMER ANNUAL: Appears after warms season rains.
UNARMED. No thorns or prickles.
Boerhavia intermedia growing as a curbside weed along a major thoroughfare in Phoenix, Arizona.