Annual, monoecious herb, prostrate to ascending, up to 50 cm long, whitish glabrous. Leaves 10-60 x 10-30 mm, alternate, ovate or deltoid, ± truncate at base, entire to sub-irregularly sinuate-dentate, scurfy-mealy beneath, almost glabrous above. Flower clusters axillary or arranged in terminal spicate inflorescences; lower clusters pistillate, upper ones mixed. Male flowers with 4-5, membranous-yellowish segments; stamens 4-5, pistillode short. Bracteoles of pistillate flowers dimorphic, conspicuously stipitate; those of lower clusters sinuate-lobed, ± smooth; those of upper ones smaller, c. 5 x 3 mm, triangular-ovate with 1-3 teeth on each side, with crested back; stigmas free to base; seeds of 2 sizes; larger ones 2-2.5 mm in diameter, shining dark-brown.