Distribution
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia (introduced), Austria (introduced), Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium (introduced), Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana (introduced), Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic (introduced), Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark (introduced), Djibouti (introduced), Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Germany (introduced), Ghana, Greece, Hungary (introduced), India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico (introduced), Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand (introduced), Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania (introduced), Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia (introduced), Slovenia, Somalia, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden (introduced), Switzerland (introduced), Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine (introduced), Uzbekistan, Western Sahara (introduced), Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Plants annual, pubescent in distal parts or becoming glabrescent at maturity. Stems erect to ascending or decumbent, branched at or distal to base, 0.1-0.9 m. Leaves: petiole variable in length; blade lanceolate to nearly linear or rhombic-ovate to elliptic-ovate, (1.5-)2-4(-5) × 1-3 cm, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margins entire, plane, rarely indistinctly undulate, apex subacute to obtuse or emarginate, mucronulate. Inflorescences axillary glomerules, green. Bracts lanceolate, subspinescent, 1.5-2 mm, shorter or slightly longer than tepals. Pistillate flowers: tepals 3, erect, elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, equal or subequal, 1.5-2 mm, apex short-acuminate; style branches slightly spreading; stigmas (2-)3. Staminate flowers intermixed with pistillate; tepals 3, equal or subequal; stamens 3. Utricles subglobose to broadly elliptic, 2-2.5 mm, slightly rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile, rarely irregularly dehiscent. Seeds black, lenticular, 1-1.3(-1.6) mm diam., smooth or indistinctly punctate.
Flowering summer-fall. On ballast.