Boerhavia erecta L.

Erect Spiderling; Erect Tar Vine

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Erect Spiderling is a native herbaceous annual in the Four-O'clock family (Nyctaginaceae). It has been found in scattered locations throughout Alabama. Erect Spiderling occurs along railroads, in cracks in parking lots and sidewalks, on vacant lots, and on roadsides. It is an annual with a tick cord-like taproot. Stems are erect to decumbent, much branched, green or purplish in color, pubescent with minute hairs near the base and glabrous above. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate to lanceolate in outline, with wavy margins. The leaves are dark green above and pale green below, and are punctate on both surfaces. The leaves may be glabrous or minutely pubescent on both surfaces. Flowers are produced in axillary or terminal inflorescences. The inflorescences are much branched with sticky bands between the nodes. They terminate in umbels or racemes of small flowers. Individual flowers are short stalked and bell shaped with 5 spreading lobes on the corolla. The corolla is white in color, often with streaks of pink. The fruit is club shaped with 5 ribs. It is glabrous.—A. Diamond

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Native

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