A. amblyostegia Turcz. in Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Mosc. 25, 2: 416. 1852; A. nitens Moq. subsp. desertorum Iljin in Bull. Jard. Bot. URSS. 26: 414. 1927; A. hortensis L. subsp. desertorum (Sosn.) Aellen in Bot. Jahrb. 70: 29. 1939; A. nitens Schkuhr. subsp. aucheri (Moq.) Takht. in Takht. & An. Fedrov., Fl. Erevana, 90. 1972.

Annual, 30-60 (-150) cm high, erect, usually branched. Leaves alternate, large, 5-10 cm long, long petiolate, truncate, cordate to hastate at base, sinuate-lobed or dentate to entire, lanceolate, tapering. Spicate inflorescences loose, simple or paniculate, leafless. Staminate flowers with 5-lobed, membranous perianth. Pistillate flowers of 2-forms: with 5-merous perianth and horizontal smaller seeds; others with 2 glabrous, membranous ovate or orbicular, reticulately veined, 5-15 mm long valves, with larger vertical seeds. Stigma free to base. Seeds 1-5 mm in diameter, brown or black.

Fl. Per.:April-May.

Type: Persia (occidentalis), P.M.R. Aucher-Eloy 3099 (G-DC-microfiche !).

Distribution: Russia, Crimea, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, C.Asia.

Like the preceding species but the leaves triangular to hastate-cordate, white lepidote-beneath, bracteoles oblong-cordate, conspicuously reticulate-veined.