Low shrub to 60 cm high, often sprawling, most parts glaucous, often suffused deep pink. Leaves linear to fusiform, terete, tip acute, 12–20 x 1 mm, progressively reduced along flowering stems. Flowers bisexual and female in dense clusters sometimes inserted on base of petiole rather than strictly in the leaf axil and sometimes contiguous into ± interrupted spikes. Bisexual flowers: perianth deeply divided, subglobose, c. 3 mm in diam.; ovary free for part of length, acuminately tapered, stigmas filiform, to 2 mm long. Female flowers smaller, staminode-like appendages minute, ovary ± joined to perianth, styles 3–4. Perianth base enlarged in fruit, upper part of ovary swollen and spongy, sometimes with slight basal constriction in bisexual flowers. Seed orbicular to ovoid, not strongly compressed, 0.9–1.1 x 0.8 mm, glossy, blackish.