Very foetid annual, ± farinose, especially young parts and infl., eglandular. Roots as thick as stems. Stems to c. 50 cm long, pale, prostrate or decumbent, branched. Petioles to 1 cm long, slender; lamina to 2 × 1.5 cm, rhombic to ovate, usually becoming efarinose above, entire or with 1 pair of teeth; base cuneate or broad-cuneate; apex obtuse or acute. Glomerules dense, axillary, concentrated towards shoot apices and infl. dense and narrow, at least lower glomerules subtended by lvs. Perianth segments 0.5-1 mm long, valvate, with a green obtuse or rounded keel, united in lower part. Fr. completely invested by perianth; pericarp easily removed. Seed horizontal, c. 1 mm diam., lenticular, the flattened edge acute; testa shining black, minutely punctulate.