Annual herb, usually 20-60 cm tall. Stems erect, greyish green-striped-yellowish, almost always without red colour, branched, lowermost branches often close to each others, subopposite, longer, ascending, other branches relatively short, spreading to ascending. Leaf blade silvery to glaucous green especially below, often also above, sometimes pure green, (1-)2-4.5(-6) x 0.5-1.5(-2.5) cm, 2-3 x length of the petiole, narrowly trullate to narrowly elliptic, often in main stem with a pair of lobe-like teeth at broadest point of lowermost leaves, otherwise entire, rarely with solitary other blunt teeth, sometimes totally entire, apex acute to obtuse and shortly acuminate; upper leaves narrower, lanceolate, acute-acuminate. Inflorescence spiciform small, terminal, leafless; glomerules small, dense. Perianth farinose, lobes often spreading in fruit, divided to 1/2 or somewhat more, margin membranous, obtuse to emarginate, back rounded, midrib often clearly visible on inner side. Part of fruits falling without perianth. Pericarp ± easily removed. Seeds horizontal, black, 0.9-1.2 mm, round in outline, margin obtuse; testa almost smooth or with obscure radial striae.