glabrous, annual, medium-sized, but rather weak; stems tufted, 4–20 in. long, triquetrous at the top; leaves often 2/3 the length of the stem, 1/6 in. broad, flaccid; rays of umbel 3–8, unequal, up to 1–2 in. long, or often very short, each terminated by a dense compound spike of usually 20–60 spikelets; bracts 3–4, similar to the leaves, lowest 2–10 in. long; spikelets 1/5 by 1/30 in., 10–30-flowered, dark red; glumes minute, round, obtuse, concave, not imbricated in fruit; stamen 1, rarely 2; anther small, oblong, obtuse; nut equally trigonous, subglobose, as long as the glume or nearly so, pale brown; style much shorter than the nut; branches 3, linear, not elongate. null
