Annual to perennial; usually densely and softly hairy, more or less glandular above. Stems erect, much-branched, 30–80 cm long. Leaves ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, 40–90 mm long, 8–30 mm wide with white, spreading hairs, glandular above; lower leaves with petioles to 25 mm long; upper leaves sessile. Inflorescence lax, few-flowered; bracts herbaceous. Flowers unisexual; pedicels 5–20 mm long; male calyx 12–22 mm long, 10-veined; female calyx 20–30 mm long, 20-veined, inflated in fruit, calyx-lobes narrow-triangular, acute; petal-limb 14–18 mm long, white, deeply bifid; styles 5. Capsule ovoid-conical, 10–20 mm long; carpophore absent; seeds more or less reniform, grey, bluntly tuberculate, 1.3–1.5 mm long. Flowers spring.
Wim, VVP, VRiv, GipP, CVU, EGL, HSF, HNF. A sparsely-occurring casual weed of disturbed ground in south-eastern Australia, and because of its dioecious habit rarely persisting.
