Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 2:900 (1753).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Indian weeds.

Description:
Annual herbs; stems erect; leaves cauline, opposite, flat, sessile or with winged petioles, simple, dentate.

Capitula small, heterogamous, radiate, pedunculate, in terminal cymes with repeated branches subtended by reduced leaves; involucres broadly campanulate, 2-seriate; outer bracts 5, herbaceous, spreading; inner bracts c. 8, herbaceous, each enclosing a ray floret; receptacle convex; receptacular scales prominent, herbaceous, each enclosing a disk floret, ultimately deciduous with the ripe achenes; ray florets uniseriate, female, fertile, ligulate; style branches short, linear, obtuse; disk florets bisexual, fertile, tubular; anthers obtuse at the base, with a short obtuse appendage at the apex; style branches short, acute, with hairs on the outer faces.

Achenes compressed-ovoid, curved; pappus absent. (R. K. Brummitt (1967) Proc. Botl Soc. Br. Isl. 7:19-21.)

Distribution:  5 species widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Outer involucral bracts linear to oblanceolate, not exceeding the florets and achenes, without glands	S. microcephala 1.
1. Outer involucral bracts spathulate, far exceeding the florets and achenes, densely covered with dark stalked glands	S. orientalis 2.

Author: Not yet available