Distribution
Austria (introduced), Hungary (introduced), Poland (introduced), Ukraine (introduced)

Plants densely to moderately pubescent, especially distal parts of stem and branches. Stems erect, reddish near base, branched in distal part to simple 0.2-1.5(-2) m; underdeveloped or damaged plants rarely ascending to nearly prostrate. Leaves: petiole 1/2 to equaling blade; blade ovate to rhombic-ovate, 2-15 × 1-7 cm, base cuneate to rounded-cuneate, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex acute, obtuse, or slightly emarginate, with terminal mucro. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, erect or reflexed at tip, green or silvery green, often with reddish or yellowish tint, branched, leafless at least distally, usually short and thick. Bracts lanceolate to subulate, (2.5-)3.5-5(-6) mm, exceeding tepals, apex acuminate with excurrent midrib. Pistillate flowers: tepals 5, spatulate-obovate, lanceolate-spatulate, not clawed, subequal or unequal, (2-)2.5-3.5(-4) mm, membranaceous, apex emarginate or obtuse, with mucro; style branches erect or slightly spreading,; stigmas 3. Staminate flowers few at tips of inflorescences; tepals 5; stamens (3-)4-5. Utricles broadly obovoid to broadly elliptic, 1.5-2.5 mm, shorter than or subequal to tepals, smooth or slightly rugose, especially near base and in distal part, dehiscence regularly circumscissile. Seeds black to dark reddish brown, lenticular to subglobose-lenticular, 1-1.3 mm, smooth, shiny.
Flowering summer-fall. Banks of rivers, lakes, and streams, disturbed habitats, agricultural fields, railroads, roadsides, waste areas; 0-2500 m.