Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Fields, roadsides, forest edge, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.

Flowers: June-September

Origin: Introduced from Europe, but some populations in the Midwest may be native to North America, according to FNA

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Erect or rounded, freely-branched annual, 2-10 dm. tall, greenish to grayish with a mealy coating, often tinged with red in age.

Leaves alternate, usually firm and somewhat succulent, the blade ovate to rhombic with a wedge-shaped base, 3-10 cm. long, mostly shallowly to deeply wavy-toothed, with a slender, short petiole.

Flowers perfect, glomerate in large, terminal panicles; perianth 5-cleft to below the middle, with a mealy coating, becoming strongly keeled and completely covering the fruit; stamens 5, opposite the perianth lobes; styles 2, short.

Utricle.