Japan Flora: Delicate annual, 5-15 cm. high; stems branched at base or simple, terete, with few pairs of leaves at base, scapelike in upper part; leaves ovate or oblong, 7-15 mm. long, 3-6 mm. wide, acute or obtuse, obsoletely 3-nerved, often short-pilosulous on both sides, always so on the margin; flowers 3-5, verticillate, erect, white, about 3 mm. across, the pedicels 1-4 cm. long; capsules globose, bifid, about 3 mm. long.  Aug.-Oct. Sunny places in lowlands.

Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu. Korea, Ryukyus, Formosa, China, India, Malaysia, and Australia.