I first posted pix of these surprise seedlings in my palm pot this winter, & it was helpfully suggested they were likely Robinia. However, today I noticed they are flowering, teeny tiny single, white star-shaped flowers from underneath the leaves, on the stems. They are not pea-like in habit or form at all, so am wondering what these plants might actually be? I also discovered that when the branches are touched, they retain the shape you put them in! They also are photo sensitive and close up tightly at night. What the heck are these odd lil' plants? Thanks in advance.
The plant almost looks like a Black Locust seedling or maybe in your area Idaho locust seedling from the land of Robinia.
But it can't be a Robinia with those tiny white flowers! (+ Robinia has odd-pinnate leaves and their leaflets are in pairs along the stem/rachis) Phyllanthus niruri: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Quebra-Pedra._Phyllanthus_niruri.JPG
Yeah, I barely glanced at it in the beginning. Still the flowers are a bit hard to see, but I haven't got my glasses. At first glance they looked like a zillion Locust seedlings I've seen before scatter everywhere on my old nieghbour's property.
LOL, exactly. That's why I said at " At first glance . . " Kool looking plant though. Life is still looking a bit lifeless where I am, but we're now noticing buds starting to swell. Yesterday was actully 18C. Wow!
Thank you Lila, that seems to be the correct answer, Phyllanthus niruri. How exotic!... and I have no idea how they ended up in that planter here in the suburbs of Vancouver...Fascinating! Thank you.
