Amaranthus muricatus

Prostrate or weakly ascending, ± glabrous annual. Stems to c. 60 cm long. Leaves subsessile, oblong to narrowly lanceolate, 1–10 cm long, 2–10 mm wide; apex obtuse or emarginate, sometimes shortly mucronate. Inflorescence spicate, sometimes interrupted, with compact clusters of flowers, terminal, simple or branched, mostly 4–10 cm long. Flowers unisexual; bracts ovate, c. two-thirds as long as tepals, bracteoles rudimentary; tepals 5 (occasionally 4 and within same inflorescence), narrowly obovate, c. 2 mm long, acute; stamens 3. Utricle indehiscent, shortly exceeding perianth, flattened-globoid, bullate; seed lenticular, blackish, shiny, c. 1 mm diam. Flowers Nov.–May.