Annual, up to 25 (-35) cm, high with whitish stems, simple or long-branched from below; branches covered with scarious hairs intermixed with some brown and blackish ones above especially in inflorescences. Leaves alternate, petiolate, ovate, obtuse, entire or sparingly and obsoletely toothed, mostly rounded-attenuate towards the petiole, dull paler beneath with rather dense mealiness. Inflorescence spiciform, l-leafy, except at the summit. Staminate flowers 5-merous; pistillate bracteolate; bracteoles ovate-rhombic or ovate-hastate, connate in lower half, free above, prominently nerved in the free part, entire or sparingly toothed, covered with mostly tubercle-like colourless scarious hairs. Seed flat, 1-2 mm in diameter, light or dark-brown.