Annual or short-lived perennial herb, subshrub or shrub 0.35–1.8 m. tall, with woody stems and often numerous short lateral branchlets, reddish brown, glabrous to densely spreading pubescent above, glabrescent towards the base where the epidermis peels off in papery strips. Leaves opposite, often appearing pseudoverticillate due to numerous abbreviated shoots; blades elliptic to oblong-oblanceolate or very narrowly oblanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 0.75–4 cm. long, 0.8–5 mm. wide, acute or very shortly acuminate at the apex, narrowed to the base, glabrous or with some obscure scaly marginal hairs, often ± shining and reticulate above; petiole obsolete or only ± 1 mm. long; stipule-sheath 1.5 mm. long, hairy, with 1–5 setae, 0.7–4.5 mm. long. In some specimens the internodes are very short giving the plant a very leafy appearance. Flowers axillary, usually rather numerous at each node in the axils of the main leaves and also of the numerous short leaves of the abbreviated shoots, the total inflorescence attaining up to 20 cm., with numerous flowering nodes on the main stem and the short lateral branchlets, ± sessile or pedicels ± 1 mm. long. Male: calyx-tube obconic, 0.5 mm. long; lobes unequal, oblong to triangular or lanceolate, 0.5–1.5 mm. long; corolla whitish or yellowish green, sometimes dotted with purple; tube 1 mm. long; lobes oblong-elliptic, 3–3.5 mm. long, 1–1.2 mm. wide; filaments 3 mm. long, anthers 2.2 mm. long; rudimentary stigma ± 1 mm. long. Hermaphrodite flowers: calyx-lobes triangular, 1 mm. long, apiculate; corolla-tube 2.2 mm. long, lobes 1 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide, a few hairs at the apex outside; anthers 1.2 mm. long, exserted 0.7 mm.; styles 1.9 mm. long, joined for 0.6 mm. Female: calyx-tube oblong or ellipsoid, 0.5–2 mm. long; lobes triangular or ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 0.3–1.8 mm. long, up to 0.8 mm. wide, acute; corolla-tube ellipsoid, 0.5–1 mm. long, lobes oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, 0.5 mm. long, 0.25 mm. wide; styles feathery, 0.55–1 cm. long, joined at the base for 1.5–3 mm. Fruits glabrous, 2 mm. long, covered with the persistent calyx-teeth.
