Global description
Glinus lotoides is an annual herb, prostrate or creeping, densely pubescent. The stems are hairy, pale green, 10 to 40 cm long, densely branched. The short-stalked leaves are simple, opposite or sub-verticilate, with orbicular-obovate, oblong-spatulate to ovate-lanceolate lamina, of variable size, very pubescent, greyish-green. The sessile or subsessile flowers are grouped in axillary clusters of 1 to 8 flowers, with white, yellowish or pale green perianth, 4 to 6 mm long. The fruits are sub-globular capsules with 5 loculus, about 6 mm long, containing many small reniform seeds with an appendage about ¾ of the size of the seed.
Cotyledons
The cotyledons are reduced, briefly stalked, with oval-elliptical lamina and a rounded apex.
First leaves
The first leaves and the basal leaves are simple, opposite, short-stalked, with spatulate to elliptic-obvale lamina, pubescent; they are more or less arranged in a rosette at the soil surface.
General habit
Annual herb, prostrate or creeping, densely pubescent, with stems spread on the ground and densely branched, 10 to 40 cm long.
Underground system
Taproot.
Stem
The stem is cylindrical, hairy, prostrate or spread on the ground, branched up to 40 cm long; the branches are very pubescent, greenish-gray or whooly white at the top.
Leaf
The leaves are simple, opposite or whorled, with orbicular-obovate, elliptic-obovate to oval-lanceolate lamina, 6 to 24 mm long and 5 to 18 mm wide, base attenuate into petiole short of 1 to 6 mm, with rounded or sometimes apiculate apex; both sides are pubescent and greenish-gray in color; the margin is entire, with the border sometimes rolled to the lower face; the main rib is protruding on the underside.
Inflorescence
The numerous shortly stalked flowers are grouped in axillary glomerules with 1 to 8 flowers, sessile or sub sessile.
Flower
Flowers are pentamerous and consist of a perianth (tepals) whitish, yellowish or pale green, oblong to elliptic, 6 to 8 mm long, pubescent on the external side, 12 free and fertile stamens, with filament of variable length, 2 to 3.5 mm long, and an ovary with 5 loculus surmounted by 5 free styles.
Fruit
The fruit is a sub-spherical or elliptical-oblong capsule with 5 loculus, as long as the persistent tepals, with 5 valves.
Seed
Seeds are kidney-shaped, small (less than 1 mm long), numerous, with a linear appendix, more or less curved, approximately ¾ the size of the seed.