Plants annual, rarely biennial, glabrous or indistinctly papillose especially on veins of leaf blades abaxially, with fusiform, vertical rootstock. Stems erect, often flex-uous in inflorescence, branched distal to middle, occasionally almost from base, 20–70(–80) cm. Leaves: ocrea deciduous or partially persistent at maturity; blade oblong, elliptic-lanceolate, or ovate-elliptic, 3–8(–12) × 2–5 cm, normally less than 4 times as long as wide, not coriaceous, base normally truncate or subcordate to weakly cordate, margins entire, flat to weakly undulate, occasionally slightly crisped, apex obtuse or subacute. Inflorescences terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, usually lax and interrupted, broadly paniculate, branches usually ascending and straight. Pedicels articulated in proximal 1/3, filiform, 2–5 mm, articulation distinctly swollen. Flowers 10–20 in rather dense remote whorls; inner tepals ovate-triangular or deltoid, 3–5.5(–6) × 2–3 mm (excluding teeth), ca. 1.5 times as long as wide, base truncate, margins in most cases distinctly dentate, very rarely subentire, apex acute to subacute, straight, teeth 2–4(–5), normally at each side of margins, narrowly triangular, straight, 1–3(–5) mm, equaling or shorter than width of inner tepals; tubercles (1–)3, equal or subequal. Achenes dark reddish brown, 2–2.8 × 1.4–1.8 mm. 2n = 40.
