Stems erect to ascending, much-branched to simple, 1-10.5 dm, farinose. Leaves nonaromatic; petiole 0.2-9 cm; blade narrowly to broadly lanceolate, rhombic, ovate, or triangular, 1.2-12(-15) × 0.5-7.5(-9) cm, base cuneate to truncate, margins serrate, irregularly dentate, or entire, often with 2 basal lobes, apex acute to acuminate, farinose. Inflorescences glomerules in compound spikes, 5-17 cm; glomerules irregularly rounded, 4-7 mm diam.; bracts absent. Flowers: perianth segments 5, distinct nearly to base; lobes ovate to deltate, 0.7-1.5 × 0.7-1.3 mm, apex obtuse, farinose, often prominently keeled, covering fruit at maturity or not; stamens 5; stigmas 2, 0.3-0.5 mm. Achenes or utricles depressed-ovoid; pericarp adherent or nonadherent near stylar base, alveolate-rugose. Seeds round, 1-2 mm diam., margins rounded; seed coat brown to black, honeycomb pitted. 2n = 36.
Much like C. album, but the pericarp evidently roughened and cellular-reticulate when viewed at 10נ(or in any case at 20ש; a minute (0.1 mm) undivided style-base persistent on the fr (at least in var. zschackei); 2n=36. Common native Amer. weed, widespread in our range and s. into Mex. Three ±distinguishable vars. with us:
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.