Oxygonum stuhlmannii (?)
Observed among savanna/grassland vegetation near Kiserian, Kenya, Africa. December 2015. The leaf at lower left shows, I believe, an infection by a rust fungus.
FRUIT: Like most buckwheats the seeds are three-angled, and in this case
there's also a sharp point at each angle.
HERBACEOUS: Slender ribbed stems with well-spaced leaves. Height
less than ½ m. Tends to lean and scramble upon nearby plants.
FLOWERS: The flowers are small, with four or five petals, and are very
pale in color. Several clustered at terminus.
LEAVES: Leaves are oblong with conspicuous deep incisions and lobes. Under magnification the leaf margins are
seen to have minute undulations. A reddish brownish
sheath with bristle-like hairs encircles the stem where the leaf attaches.
RANGE: This specimen was observed in savanna/grassland habitat south of Nairobi,
Kenya.
ARMED: The seed prickles are sharp.