Stems erect, much-branched, 4-10 dm, farinose. Leaves non-aromatic; petiole 0.4-1.5 cm; blade rhombic-ovate to narrowly rhombic-ovate or narrowly ovate, 1.2-3.4 × 0.4-1.4 cm, thick, base cuneate, margins usually with pair of basal, upwardly pointing lobes, apex broadly acute to mucro, densely farinose abaxially. Inflorescences glomerules in terminal and axillary panicles; glomerules maturing irregularly; bracts leaflike or linear, 2 × 0.1 mm. Flowers: perianth segments 5, distinct nearly to base; lobes ovate, 0.6-1 mm, apex rounded, slightly keeled abaxially, densely farinose, covering fruit at maturity; stamens 5; stigmas 2, 0.3-0.5 mm. Utricles ovoid; pericarp nonadherent, smooth. Seeds oblong-ovoid, 1-1.2 mm, margins acute; seed coat black, fine-rugulate.

Fruiting early summer. Dry soils, river bottoms; 400-700 m; Tex.

Chenopodium albescens is a poorly known or understood taxon. In some ways it is intermediate between C. fremontii and C. album. There are additional scattered reports from Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, and New Mexico.