Annual herb, 8-10 cm tall, sometimes prostrate, intemodes 10-20 mm long. Leaves 8-20 x 2-3 mm, linear or elliptic-lanceolate, margin often recurved, sometimes with minute scabridulous hairs, glabrous or with appressed hairs on the lower surface and minutely papillose on the upper surface; stipules small, membranous, ending in a long and several short teeth. Flowers axillary, 1-4, rarely many. Peduncle 10-15 mm long, glabrous. Pedicel c. 4-5 mm long, enlarged in fruit. Flowers isostylous. Calyx 2-2.5 mm long, teeth c. 1 mm long, margins scabridulous. Corolla white or purplish; tube c. 0.5 mm long; lobes c. 1 mm long. Anthers sessile, inserted in the mouth of corolla-tube. Style glabrous. Capsule globose or pyriform, didymous, 1.5-2 mm in diameter, with appressed hairs.

Fl. Per.: August-October.

Type: Habitat in America meridionali, Herb. Linn. 155/9 (LINN).

Distribution: Tropical east Asia-Java, India, Pakistan (Murree & Hazara), Kashmir, Ceylon, Bangla Desh, Malaysia, tropical Africa and America.

A widespread and a very polymorphic weed in the tropics and subtropics; various forms have been recognized as species or varieties, but it is very difficult to draw a demarcation line among them. Although Linneaus described this species from America. However, according to Bremekamp (1952) it is probably native to some part of Africa.