Perennial herb with numerous virgate annual stems c. 20–25 cm. tall from a stout, woody rootstock; stems striate with pale raised lines, all vegetative parts quite glabrous. Leaves very scattered and reduced, opposite or sometimes with the alternate branches subtended by a single leaf, narrowly linear, with a pale cartilaginous border, mucronate, the lowest up to 1 cm. long, the uppermost very reduced and bracteform. Inflorescence capitate, globose, up to 1.2 cm. in diam., the axis somewhat elongating in fruit (to c. 2.25 cm.); axis deeply sulcate, glabrous or thinly furnished with long, whitish multicellular hairs. Bracts lanceolate, glabrous, c. 3 mm. long, stramineous, the somewhat darker midrib excurrent in a very short mucro. Bracteoles ovate, glabrous, 3–3.5 mm. long, stramineous or tinged with red, sharply mucronate. Perianth pink or white flushed with pink. Outer 2 tepals broadly oblong-ovate, c. 4.5 mm. long, the firm central part with 3 thick but obscure nerves (more distinct in fruit) and several more slender veins, the midrib scarcely excurrent; margins hyaline, inflexed above. Inner 3 tepals slightly shorter, gradually less firm. Filaments 3.5 mm. long, delicate; anthers oblong, c. 1.25 mm.; pseudostaminodes linear and tooth-like to narrowly oblong with an incised apex, c. 1 mm. long. Ovary c. 2 mm. long, turbinate-ovoid, glabrous in the lower one-third but densely lanate above; style c. 3 mm. long, glabrous. Capsule oblong-ovoid, slightly compressed, c. 3 mm., densely lanate above with whitish, multicellular hairs. Seeds subreniform, yellowish, shining, c. 2.75 mm.
