Very slender, weakly erect, glabrous, non-rhizomatous perennial to 50(–80) cm high; usually branched above base. Leaves reduced to scales to 1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a lax one-sided spike; flowers 1–4 at nodes, shortly pedicellate, subtended by a cluster of several scale-like bracts to 1 mm long. Hypanthium 0.5–0.9 mm long; sepals narrowly triangular, 0.7–0.9 mm long, with whitish erose-serrulate margin; corolla yellow to yellow-green, tube 2–3.3 mm long, lobes 1.3–2.1 mm long, narrowly acute to subacuminate; gynoecium 3-partite. Mericarps 1–3, obovoid-ellipsoid to ellipsoid, 1.8–3.4 mm long, rugose to verrucose, the base with small shallow cavity but no protruding bony endocarp. Flowers Sep.–Mar.