That is a plant with male and female flowers on different plants that are woody at the base and herb-like above, and that live for three or more years. Plants are much branched and up to 20 inches tall. Stem and leaves are densely grayish scurfy. Clusters of female flowers are both axillary and terminal, whereas male clusters are mostly terminal.
Flowers are tiny and green.
The reddish-brown seeds are very small. Look for moundscale on saline soils in the badlands. Some shrubby members of this genus in Africa and Australia are used as livestock feed, but grazing seems to have little effect on the abundance of moundscale in the Great Plains. The family contains about 100 genera and 1200 species worldwide, and is especially well-represented in arid regions. Beet, Swiss chard, and spinach are members of the goosefoot family.