Stems prostrate to ascending, 0.5-2(-5) dm, herbage sparsely farinose when young, becoming glabrate. Leaves: petiole 0.1-3(-6) cm, longest on proximal leaves, distal leaves sometimes sessile; blade of principal leaves hastately lobed near base, narrowly triangular, lanceolate, narrowly elliptic, or linear, 1-3(-4) cm × 2-15(-25) mm at lobes, base narrowly attenuate or cuneate, margins sometimes with few teeth distally, apex obtuse to rounded; distal leaves sometimes completely unlobed. Flowers: perianth segment 1, spatulate or obtuse, 1 mm; stamen 1. Utricles 1.1-1.5 mm; pericarp readily separating from seeds, whitish, membranous, cellular-reticulate. Seeds dark brown to black, laterally flattened, broadly ovoid. 2n = 18. Flowering early spring-mid summer, fruiting through Aug. Usually moist, subalkaline clays, often in partial shade or open disturbed habitats; 100-3000 m; Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Kans., Minn., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Okla., Oreg., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo.; n Mexico.

Plant: Annual forb 4-40 cm; stems 2 to many from base, not branched above Leaves: leaves alternate <4 cm, lanceolate, fleshy, 2-toothed to hastate INFLORESCENCE: clusters generally axillary, flowers generally 5-15+ per cluster; bracts leaf-like Flowers: flowers minute, bisexual or pistillate; sepals 1-3, oblanceolate to obovate; stamens 0-1; style branches 2 Fruit: an utricle, ~2mm, wall pitted, adherent to seed; Seed 1, dark brown, vertical Misc: Open, disturbed, often wet places; < 3500 m.; Apr-Sep References: W. B. McDougal. Seed Plants of Northern Arizona.J.C. Hickman, ed. The Jepson Manual. ASU specimens.