Annual herb with a thin taproot 10 - 35 cm tall

Leaves: in whorls of four, soon curving downward, stalkless, 3 - 11 mm long, 2 - 4 mm wide, egg-shaped to elliptic to narrowly lance-shaped with a pointed tip, one-veined, hairy, hairy-fringed (ciliate), and revolute (rolled downward along the margins).

Inflorescence: a small, axillary cluster (cymule) of two to four flowers raised on a short stalk. Usually two cymules per axil.

Flowers: yellow, 0.5 - 1.2 mm wide, more or less flat and circular in outline, with four short lobes. Stamens four, alternating with lobes, shorter than corolla. Anthers yellowish orange. Styles two, short.

Fruit: dry, indehiscent, to 1.5 mm wide, spherical, paired, separating when ripe, one-seeded.

Stems: multiple from base, more or less upright, unbranched, slender, four-angled, with spreading hairs and recurved prickles.

Similar species: No information at this time.

Flowering: late April to late September

Habitat and ecology: Introduced from Europe. Restricted to the eastern edge of the Chicago Region, where it has been found growing in cemeteries. Typically found in disturbed sites.

Occurence in the Chicago region: non-native

Etymology: Cruciata means crossed, or "in the form of a cross." Pedemontana means "of or from Piedmont, Italy."

Author: The Morton Arboretum

Annual 1-3.5 dm, the stems with spreading hairs and small recurved prickles; lvs 3-11 נ2-4 mm, ovate or elliptic, acute, 1-veined, with revolute margins, slightly hairy; peduncles much shorter than the subtending lvs, 2-3-fld; fls yellow, minute, 0.5-1 mm; styles united below; frs 1 mm, glabrous; 2n=18. Native of Europe, intr. in disturbed sites from Va. and W.Va. to N.C., w. to O., Ill., Kans., and Okla. (Cruciata p.)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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