Stems 2-8 dm. Leaf blades 10-50 × 6-32 mm. Flowers: pedicel 0.2-1.6 mm; bracts at base of per-ianth usually 2; perianth 1-2 mm distal to constriction; stamens 2-3(-4), slightly exserted. Inflorescences terminal clusters, axis 15-60 mm. Fruits (4-)7-20(-22) per cluster, usually overlapping by 50-100% of their length, or 2-4 in group, separated by small gap from next group and with distal fruits overlapping, pale tan, narrowly obpyramidal, 2.5-3.2(-3.6) × (0.9-1.1(-1.4) mm (l/w: [2.2-]2.5-3.1[-3.3]), apex bluntly conic-truncate, round-truncate, or truncate; ribs obtuse, each often with sharp ridge, slightly rugose near sulci; sulci 0.1-0.2 times as wide as base of ribs, slightly rugose.

Flowering late spring-early fall. Sandy or loamy soils in arid grasslands, among brush, roadsides in deserts and cultivated areas; [100-]500-1400 m; Ariz.; N.Mex., Utah; Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora).