Stems erect, branched, 2-6 dm, glabrous. Leaves nonaromatic; petiole 0.5-2.5 cm; blade oblong-ovoid to lanceolate, 2-4.5 × 0.5-1.5 cm, base cuneate, margins entire or proximal ones with few teeth, apex acute to acuminate, sparsely farinose. Inflorescences glomerules in terminal and lateral spikes and panicles, 6-15 cm; glomerules irregularly globose, 0.5-2 mm diam., flowers in different stages of development; bracts absent. Flowers: perianth segments 5, distinct nearly to base; lobes obovate, 0.5-0.7 × 0.5-0.7 mm, apex rounded, faintly keeled or not keeled, scarcely farinose, partly covering fruit at maturity; stamens 5; stigmas 2, 0.2 mm. Utricles depressed-ovoid; pericarp nonadherent, smooth. Seeds lenticular, margins round, 0.9-1.3 mm diam.; seed coat black, reticulate-alveolate to smooth. 2n = 18.

Fruiting Sep. Shaded wooded areas in disturbed soils; elevation not known; Ont.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.