Plants glabrous. Stems erect or with lateral branches ascending, usually branched from base, main and lateral stems sparingly branched or simple, 0.3–0.7(–1) m. Leaves short-petiolate; petiole 1/4–1/2 as long as blade; blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, (1–)2–6(–10) × 0.1–0.5(–1) cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex acute to mucronulate. Inflorescences mostly axillary clusters scattered from base to apex of plants, distally condensed in lax, unbranched, almost leafless, slender, terminal spikes, interrupted. Bracts of pistillate flowers ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.8 mm, shorter than tepals, about 1/2 or less as long as tepals. Pistillate flowers: tepals 5, reflexed, fan-shaped to broadly spatulate, clawed, equal or subequal, 1.5–3.3 mm, margins fimbriate or denticulate, apex much expanded and obtuse; style branches erect to ± spreading; stigmas 3(–4). Staminate flowers: tepals 5, apex obtuse; stamens (2–)3. Utricles subglobose to obovate, 1.2–2 mm, shorter than tepals, rugose to nearly smooth, dehiscence regularly circumscissile. Seeds black or dark reddish brown, lenticular to broadly lenticular, 0.8–1 mm diam., shiny, smooth. 2n = 34.
