Japan Flora: Fleshy, glabrous, mealy, perennial herb; stems branched, decumbent below, 40-60 cm. long; leaves thick, ovate-deltoid, 4-6 cm. long, 3-4.5 cm. wide, obtuse, broadly cuneate to subtruncate at base, the petiole about 2 cm. long; flowers 1 or 2 in leaf-axils, the pedicels very short, rather stout, the calyx-tube 3-4 mm. long, accrescent and becoming 6-7 mm. long in fruit, with 4 or 5 large spinelike tubercles on the shoulder, the calyx-teeth broadly ovate; petals absent; nut several-seeded, indehiscent. Apr.-Nov. Sandy seashores;

Hokkaido (sw. distr.), Honshu, Shikoku; common; sometimes cultivated as a vegetable. China, s. Asia, S.America, and Australia.