Dichondra recurvata Tharp & M.C. Johnst., gravel ponyfoot. Perennial herb, clonal, stolon–producing, fibrous–rooted along shoots, not rosetted, mat–forming, to 2.5 cm tall, with adventitious roots at each node; shoots with only cauline leaves along stems and stolons, aboveground densely short–hairy; stolons shallow.
Stems (stolons) belowground, cylindric, to 1.5 mm diameter, flexible, white, short–villous to short–tomentose.
Leaves helically alternate with 1(3) leaf per node, simple, petiolate, without stipules; petiole narrowly channeled above midpoint, 10—35 mm long, white belowground and ± pink to purplish aboveground, internodes to 37 mm long; blade kidney–shaped to heart–shaped often somewhat folded upward along midrib, < 5—23 × < 10—30 mm, cordate at ase, entire and wavy on margins, rounded to slightly notched at tip, palmately 5–veined or 7–veined with midrib and principal veins slightly sunken on upper surface and raised on lower surface, villous.
Inflorescence cyme, 1—2–flowered, axillary from belowground stolon, flower oriented downward, bracteate, densely soft–hairy; bractlets 2 at base of peduncle, oblong, < 2 mm long, densely hairy; peduncle (pedicel) cylindric, hooked and strongly curved downward, at anthesis 1—2 mm long > bractlet and increasing to 12 mm long, white, densely hairy like stolon.
Flower bisexual, radial, ± 3—3.5 mm across; calyx 5–lobed, funnel–shaped, 2.1—2.3 mm long, mostly green, densely soft–hairy; lobes obovate, ca. 1 mm long increasing in fruit, overlapping at base, sometimes tinged with red cells; corolla 5–lobed, broadly funnel–shaped with spreading lobes, ± 2.7 mm long, white, glabrous; tube < lobes; lobes ± cupped–ovate, 1.5 × 1.2—1.3 mm, outer (lower) surface glossy, rounded at tip; stamens 5, fused to corolla beneath each sinus; filaments flared at base, ± 0.7 mm long, white; anthers dorsifixed, dithecal, ± 0.5 mm long, red–purple, longitudinally and inwardly dehiscent; pollen white; pistil 1; ovary superior, deeply 2–lobed, 0.5—0.7 mm long, each lobe 0.3 × 0.5 mm, hidden by dense, villous hairs, 2–chambered, each chamber with 2 ovules; styles 2, attached at base of ovary between lobes, almost free to base, subequal, 1—1.2 mm long, pale green; stigmas capitate, mushroomlike, ca. 0.6 mm across, light green, papillate.
Fruit capsule, dehiscence irregular, inflexed, 2–seeded, 2–lobed, each lobe 1–seeded, spheroid, 2—2.5 mm long, whitish villous, with persistent calyx with lobes 2—2.3 mm long.
Seed fitted tightly within chamber, subspheroid, ca. 2.5 × 2.6 mm, white maturing dull brown, smooth, with micropyle at end.
A. C. Gibson