Erect annual to 1.5 m high. Stems grooved, glabrous or glabrescent. Leaves long-petiolate, ovate to elliptic, lamina 3–12 cm long, 2–8 cm wide; margins entire; apex acute, sometimes shortly mucronate. Spikes dense, usually branching, drooping, terminal or in upper axils, to 30 cm long, 10–20 mm diam., reddish. Flowers unisexual; bracts and bracteoles lanceolate, c. 2 mm long, spinescent; tepals 5, obovate to spathulate, c. 2 mm long, obtuse or emarginate, often mucronate; stamens 5. Utricle circumsciss, subequal to perianth; seed discoid, 1–1.5 mm diam., dark brown or greyish, shiny. Flowers Mar.–Jun.
MuM, VRiv, GipP, Gold. Native to South America or possibly Central America. Sparingly established in urban area in Bendigo, among building rubble, and among exotic vegetation at Merri Creek in Coburg.
This species may have arisen through selection of cultivated forms of A. hybridus or other closely related species. Commonly cultivated for its large and colourful inflorescence.
