Short-lived annual with few, short, prostrate to suberect branches, far exceeded by the stiffly erect flowering spikes, to c. 25 cm high (reduced plants with only 1 spike encircled at base by a few leaves). Stems variably covered with short, multicellular hairs, some gland-tipped. Leaves shortly petiolate, elliptic to rhombic, 1–2 cm long, 0.5–1 cm wide, entire to sinuately lobed, sparsely covered below with non-glandular and stalked and sessile glandular hairs, soon deciduous. Flowers in sessile clusters along leafless spike, the central flower bisexual c. 1 mm diam., 1-staminate, surrounded by c. 6 female, slightly smaller flowers; tepals 3, united in the lower half, spreading above, upper surface keeled, with a hooded, inflated, proximal section. Seed erect, brown, broadly ovoid, c. 0.5 mm long, smooth, falling with enlarged and hardened fruiting perianth (c. 2 mm diam.), usually persisting on dead plant until following season. Flowers Jan.
MuM. Also WA, NT, SA, Qld, NSW. In Victoria confined to the Raak Plains in the far north-west, where occurring in a few seasonally wet depressions on gypsum-rich, saline soils.
