Plants glabrous or glabrescent. Stems erect, much-branched, 0.1–0.8 m; proximal branches ascending. Leaves: petiole shorter than blade; blade narrowly linear-lanceolate to linear, 2–8 × 0.2–1.2(–1.7) cm, base narrowly cuneate to narrowly decurrent, margins erose, crispate, or irregularly undulate, apex acute to subobtuse. Inflorescences terminal spikes, erect, usually stiff. Bracts completely enfolding flower; of pistillate flowers with prominent excurrent midrib, venation distinct, broadly triangular to deltate, 5+ mm, longer than tepals, margins erose, crenate, or denticulate, apex acute or acuminate; of staminate flowers shorter than tepals, apex acute. Pistillate flowers: outer tepals rudimentary, less that 1.2 mm; inner tepals with venation distinct, 3–4(–5) mm, apex acute, with terminal mucro; style branches spreading; stigmas 3. Staminate flowers: tepals 5, equal or subequal, 2–3 mm, margins erose to denticulate, outer tepals with apex subobtuse to acute-acuminate; inner tepals with apex distinctly acuminate or mucronulate; stamens 5. Utricles light brown, elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 2(–2.5) mm, shorter than outer tepals, slightly rugose to smooth. Seeds dark reddish brown to brown, 1–1.3 mm diam., shiny.
