Plants annual; taproot semi-woody. Stems 1-several, erect or ascending, sometimes procum-bent, simple or sparsely branched from base or above, stout, to 12 dm, puberulent or tomentulose with short, viscid, grayish hairs. Leaves principally on proximal 1/3 of stem, petiolate; blade broadly lanceolate to orbiculate, largest leaves 6.2-12(-16.5) × 1.3-3.8 cm, base attenuate to cuneate, apex obtuse to acute, canescent to subscabrous adaxially, sparsely sericeous-tomentose abaxially. Spikes dense, much-branched, apex often pyramidal, flowers arranged in 5-ranked spiral; bracteoles dark stramineous or blackish, glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally. Flowers 3.5-5.4 mm; perianth lobes stramineous, oblong, apex acute; filament lobes slightly or not at all recurved distally, brownish (often observed as brown flower tips), apex blunt. Utricles flask-shaped, 4.2-5 × 2.5-5 mm, with irregularly dentate lateral wings, both surfaces of perianth with distinct spines or tubercles.
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