Short to medium straggly scrambling plant to 30 cm with stems stickily hairy above. Leaves linear, fleshy and channelled beneath, arranged in clusters at the swollen joints of the stem, and appearing as if in whorls. Flowers 4 to 8 mm, white with 5 unnotched petals, the petals slightly longer than the sepals. The flowers only open in the afternoon.

Glandular hairy, with long linear leaves

A general photo of the plant in its habitat, and close-ups of flowers and leaves/stems (RPR)

Arable land and bare ground.

May to September.

Annual.

Once fairly frequent throughout Britain but decreasing.

Nearly scarce, and declining, due to agricultural herbicide use.  In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 164 of the 617 tetrads, and in 13 tetrads in the Flora of Rutland (Messenger 1971).

In the current checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Native; present status uncertain, but much less frequent than formerly.