This plant has stiff, erect, coarse stems, profusely branched from the base and covered with bristly hairs.
Plant stems slender and profusely branched from the base; 4 wide-spreading nutlets; nutlets surpass the style, are attached at their apical end and are obovoid; nutlet margins are smooth, winged or wingless with hooked bristles.
Habitat
Found in open sandy/gravelly soils, on rocky slopes, in washes and along roadsides. It grows in many types of habitats, including desert scrub, woodland and grassland.
Flower Characteristics
The inflorescence is a series of flowers, each on a curved pedicel.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
The small, bristly pointed linear leaves are alternately arranged along the upper stem and oppositely along the lower part. The stem is erect, slender and covered with rough hairs.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
The fruits are rounded or oval nutlets with membranous wings along the sides and covered with scattered hook-tipped bristles.