Glinus oppositifolius (L.) Aug.DC., Bull. Herb. Boiss., ser. 2, 1: 559 (1901).

Sukhorukov, Alexander P., Sennikov, Alexander, Veranso-Libalah, Marie Claire, Kushunina, Maria, Nilova, Maya V., Heath, Roger, Heath, Alison, Mazei, Yuri & Zaika, Maxim A., 2021, Evolutionary relationships, biogeography and morphological characters of Glinus (Molluginaceae), with special emphasis on the genus composition in Sub-Saharan Africa, PhytoKeys 173, pp. 1-92 : 1

Glinus oppositifolius (L.) Aug.DC., Bull. Herb. Boiss., ser. 2, 1: 559 (1901).

Mollugo oppositifolia ≡ Mollugo oppositifolia L., Sp. Pl. 1: 89 (1753). Holotype: Sri Lanka. P. Hermann in Herb. Hermann 1: fol. 20 (BM000621295!).

Description.

Annual, branched from the base, with numerous prostrate stems often forming mats up to 1 m in diameter; young parts of the stems covered with simple crispate hairs usually arranged along one line; prickles absent or unnoticeable with the naked eye. Leaves rosulate, short-lived, and cauline, green, glabrous or puberulent, shortly petiolate (petioles 3-10 mm long), entire or coarsely denticulate, oblong, ovate, obovate or narrowly obovate, (10)15-45(55) mm × 3-15(20) mm, apically shortly acuminate, lateral veins neither recessed adaxially nor prominent abaxially. Flower clusters interrupted, consisting of (1)2-10 flowers, rarely more; flowers usually with unequal pedicels 7.0-20.0 mm long, or sometimes (sub)sessile; buds and closed anthocarp of cylindrical shape. Perianth segments in flowering (2.7)3.0-3.5 mm long, in fruiting (3.5)4.0-5.0(5.5) mm long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, dorsally green or pink with white margins and ventrally white or pinkish, sometimes turning red at senescence; petaloids usually absent. Stamens usually 5, rarely 4 or 6-7; anthers (03.-0.5)0.6-0.8(1.0) mm long. Stigmas 3, 0.3-0.6 mm long. Seeds reddish or brown-red, rarely yellow-brown, 0.30-0.50 × (0.25)0.3-0.4 mm, colliculate or rarely smooth, longitudinal ridges absent.

Note.

Glinus oppositifolius is sometimes confused with Gisekia pharnaceoides L. ( Gisekiaceae ). The most remarkable characters of Gisekia are the leaves and perianth with white striae (formed by cells with raphides), and its capsules are divided into 5-15 mericarps each containing one exarillate seed ( Gilbert 1993b). In contrast to Gisekia , Glinus species do not have easily visible raphides in any part of the plant and their capsules are multi-seeded with arillate seeds.