Erect rounded annual or short-lived perennial to 30 cm high, monoecious. Leaves broadly obovate, sinuate-dentate, scurfy or scaly on both surfaces, apex rounded, base cuneate and passing into a short petiole, in all 10–25 mm long. Flowers axillary. Male flowers mixed with a few female in glomerules in distal axils; perianth scurfy. Female flowers in scattered clusters of 1–3. Fruiting bracteoles shortly stipitate, broadly oblong, c. 5 mm long, fused to apex and bearing on each side a rugulose spongy appendage over lower 2/3 of bracteole apical portion, flat, 3-toothed. Seed orbicular; radicle lateral, erect.
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