[Greek monos, solitary, and lepis, scale, for the typically solitary sepal]

Noel H. Holmgren

Herbs, annual, polygamous, ± farinose or glabrous. Stems arising from base, prostrate to ascending, not jointed, not armed, not fleshy; ultimate branches not filiform. Leaves alternate, succulent; blade triangular-lanceolate to oblanceolate or spatulate, base narrowly attenuate to cuneate, unlobed to hastate, margins sometimes with few teeth distally or completely entire, apex obtuse to rounded. Inflorescences 1-many-flowered glomerules in leaf axils. Flowers bisexual or pistillate; perianth segment usually 1 (2-3 in central flowers) or absent, bractlike, greenish; stamens 1(-2) or absent (in pistillate flowers); ovary superior; stigmas 2, connate proximally. Fruiting structures somewhat flattened utricles; pericarp loose when dry. Seeds vertical, lenticular; seed coat brown to black, smooth; embryo annular; perisperm copious. x = 9.

Species 5 (2 in the flora): temperate regions of w North America, c and ne Asia, s South America.

Lower Taxa

• Monolepis nuttalliana (Schultes) Greene
• Monolepis spathulata A. Gray