This is an annual herb, often considered a weed. Stems, flowers and seeds are covered with a sticky powder.
Plants densely branching from the base, branches spreading to ascending. Covered with a mealy, powdery substance throughout. Leaf blades with basal lobes but no additional teeth.
Habitat
This plant is found in seasonal riparian situations such as sand or gravel washes, savannas, stabilized sand dunes, dry sand prairies, along roads and barren waste areas. Habitats with sparse ground vegetation and a history of disturbance are preferred.
Flower Characteristics
Flowers are green and may appear whitish due to abundance of powdery meal. Inconspicuous flowers are grouped in terminal and lateral panicles and each holds a single seed.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves sometimes have 2 lobes near the base. Undersides are whitish and have a mealy texture due to coating of fine, granular, modified hairs. Stems may have sections of beet-red coloration.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Small, single-seeded achenes.
Tiny seeds have rounded margins with a narrow rim. Seed coat is dark black and wrinkled.