Carrichtera annua (Linnaeus) de Candolle, Mem. Mus. Nat. Hist. Paris 7: 250. 1821; Vella annua Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 641. 1753. TYPE: Herb. Clifford: 329, Vella 1 (lectotype designated by Roselló in Cafferty and Jarvis (2002: 536), BM).

     Herbs, annual, often retrorsely hirsute throughout.  Stem (5–)7–36(–45) dm, erect or rarely decumbent, often with ascending branched, rarely simple.  Basal leaves with petioles 1–4.5 cm; blade 1- or 2-pinnatisect, with 3–6 lobes on each side, 1.5–4 cm; ultimate lobes linear to oblong, entire, 3–15 x 0.5–1.5 mm; cauline leaves subsessile or short-petiolate, not auriculate, similar to basal ones.  Fruiting pedicels stongly recurvd, secund, 2.5–4 mm.  Sepals oblong-linear, 4–5 mm, often hirsute; petals cream or pale yellow with dark purple or brown veins, 6.5–8 x 1–2 mm; median filaments 3.5–4 mm; anthers oblong, 0.5–0.8 mm. Fruit reflexed; valvular segment broadly ovoid to subglobose, 3–4 x 2.5–3.5 mm, 4–6-seeded, setose or hirsute along veins; terminal segment cochleariform or ovate, 3–5 x 3–4 mm, glabrous, with incurved margin.  Seeds subglobose, 1.1–1.6 mm in diam. 2n = 16.

Flowering Apr–May.

Habitat: deserts.

Distribution:  native of sw Asia, n Africa, and sw Europe; naturalized in Australia and the United States (S California).