Chamber Bitter (Phyllanthus Unrinaria)

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Photographer Information

Name: Richard Old
Organization: XID Services, Inc.
Country: United States

 Chamber Bitter is a field weed that looks alot like Mimosa. Mimosa grows in all shapes and sizes. We mostly know it as the Silk tree. Chamber Bitter is different in a sense that it grows in early summer and it has a wart like seed or fruit that grows along it's spine like ferns.

The Chamber Bitter is a very delicate plant but, more difficult than mimosa since it more grass-like. Unlike many plants in the Southeastern United States, the Chamber Bitter is nothing but an  annual and it needs the food chain or environment it's in to disperse seeds. One year you may see an abundance of Chamber Bitter and the next only a few.

You will find Chamber Bitter far south of most places since it likes tropic type weather better. For more information, you can check out these two great resources.

 http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/weeds/hgic2314.html
http://www.weedalert.com/weed_pages/wa_chamber_bitter.htm