| Aeschynomene rudis | |
|---|---|
| seeds | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Aeschynomene |
| Species: | A. rudis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aeschynomene rudis Benth. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Aeschynomene natans |
|
Aeschynomene rudis is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name zigzag jointvetch. It is native to South America[1] but it is known from other continents, including North America, as a noxious weed, especially of wet areas such as rice fields. It is aquatic or semi-aquatic, growing bristly, glandular stems near or in water. It grows up to two meters tall. The leaves are composed of oval-shaped leaflets each about a centimeter long. At the base of each leaf are large, flat, pointed stipules. The flower is purple-tinted white and 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide. The fruit is a lobed, gland-dotted legume pod narrowed between the seeds. It is up to 5 centimeters long and less than one wide. As the pod dries it breaks into segments, each segment containing a seed. The hard, shiny seed is kidney-shaped and 2 or 3 millimeters long.