Stems erect or occasionally semierect, usually branching from base, 1-4 dm, farinose to densely farinose. Leaves nonaromatic; petiole to 0.5 cm; blade linear, 1-veined, 0.7-2.6(-3) × 0.1-0.3 cm, usually somewhat fleshy, base cuneate, margins entire, apex obtuse, densely farinose abaxially. Inflorescences glomerules in terminal and axillary panicle; glomerules widely spaced, maturing irregularly; bracts leaflike in proximal part of inflorescence and linear to 2 × 0.1 mm on terminal branches. Flowers: perianth segments 5, distinct nearly to base; lobes lanceolate to elliptic, 0.8-1 × 0.5-0.6 mm, apex obtuse to rounded, prominently keeled abaxially, densely farinose, covering fruit at maturity; stamens 5; stigmas 2, 0.1 mm. Achenes ovoid; pericarp adherent, smooth. Seeds ovoid, 0.9-1.1 mm diam., margins round; seed coat black, finely rugulate. 2n = 18. Fruiting mid summer-early fall. Open, often disturbed sandy areas and fields; 400-3400 m; Alta., B.C., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Maine, Nev., N.Mex., Okla., Oreg., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo. This species is reported also for Kansas and Montana but we have not seen any specimens.

Plant: Annual forb to 1 m; herbage usually densely farinose Leaves: leaves alternate, petiolate, 3-8 cm, mostly linear to narrowly lanceolate, entire Flowers: flowers very small, green; sepals enclosing fruit or tips reflexed, ± keeled, generally densely powdery; stamens generally 5; ovary lenticular to spheric, stigmas 2-5 Fruit: lenticular, horizontal, ~1.5 mm, wall surface smooth, adherent to the seed; Seed horizontal, red-brown to black; wall very thin Misc: Open, gravelly soils, scrub; 300-3200 m.; Jul-Sep Notes: Calyx lobes keeled. Perianth lobes closely investing the utricle. Pericarp free from seed. References: Kearney & Peebles; Arizona Flora. McDougall; Seed plants of N. Arizona. A Utah Flora. ASU specimans.