Polygonaceae

Emex australis

Common Names: Spiny emex

Plant Form: Annual prostrate to semi-erect rosette herb. Size: Up to 50 cm wide. Stem: Develop from centre of rosette. Purplish at the base and nodes. Leaves: Triangular to oval-shaped. Mostly hairless with wavy edges. On long stalks in rosette but shorter further up. Flowers: Small, inconspicuous, green. In small clusters. Male flowers stalked, female almost stalkless. Fruit and Seeds: Triangular, hard and woody burrs. Narrowing at base. Each side has sharp spine. Clustered in the leaf forks. Habitat: Paddocks, roadsides, urban areas, waste areas, cropping land.