It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, but it is common throughout most of the rest of the temperate Americas as a naturalized species.

This is an erect annual herb growing to a maximum height near two meters.

It has leaves up to 9 centimeters long, those on the upper part of the plant lance-shaped and lower on the stem diamond or roughly oval in shape.

The inflorescence holds several long, narrow clusters of both male and female flowers interspersed with spiny green bracts.

The fruit is a smooth dehiscent capsule about 3 millimeters long containing shiny reddish black seeds.