Lax, decumbent or procumbent annual with non-woody base; stems to 7 cm long, glabrous. Leaves 5–12(–14) mm long, (0.4–)0.5–1.2 mm wide, thickened towards apex, keeled, glabrous; apex mucronate with mucro 0.2–0.6 mm long; margin very narrow, scarious, sparsely papillose. Inflorescence a sessile cluster of (2–)3–7 shortly pedicellate flowers; bracts glabrous and with few sparse papillae; pedicels up to 1.6(–2.8) mm long, increasing to 2.5 mm in fruit. Sepals 5, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, 1.2–3.3 mm long, 0.4–0.8 mm wide, overlapping at base, margin scarious, midrib keeled; stamens 2, enclosed within the calyx, caducous. Fruit with ribs obscure to distinct, 10-nerved, 0.8–3.8 mm long, 3.2–6.1 mm wide, sepals outspreading. Flowers Sep.–Nov.
LoM, MuM, Wim, VRiv, RobP. Also SA, NSW. Grows in semi-arid sand hills of Murray Mallee and open woodland systems.
Source:
Cowley, K.J.; West, J.G. (1996). Scleranthus. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 248–251. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
