Perennial (rarely annual) straggling or prostrate herb, often much branched near the base into almost simple stems, (5–)20–60(–90) cm. long, which sometimes root at the nodes, glabrous or in some variants scabridulous when young; sometimes forming loose mats. Leaf-blades linear to linear-lanceolate, less often elliptic or lanceolate, 1–6 cm. long, 0.2–1.2 cm. wide, acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, scabridulous above near the margins, glabrous beneath or with midvein scabridulous; petioles not developed, very short and adnate to the stipule sheath which is 1 mm. long and bears 2–5 linear fimbriae 1.5 mm. long. Flowers not heterostylous, often solitary at the nodes (pseudo-axillary) or sometimes several at the nodes but then these actually borne on very reduced axillary shoots; pedicels slender, 0.5–3 cm. long, glabrous or scabridulous. Calyx-tube bowl-shaped, 0.8 mm. tall, 1.5 mm. wide, glabrous or with scattered very short hairs; lobes triangular, 1–1.8 mm. long, acuminate at the apex, glabrous or sparsely scabridulous. Corolla white, sometimes tinged pink or purple; tube 1 mm. long, glabrous inside; lobes triangular, 1–2 mm. long. Style slightly longer than the tube; stigma-lobes 0.7–1.4 mm. long. Capsule depressed subglobose, 2.2–3 mm. tall including the 1 mm. tall beak, 3.2–5 mm. wide, grooved at the middle. Seeds pale brown, angular, 0.3–0.4 mm. long, strongly reticulate.
