Erect annual or perennial subshrub mostly 30–50 cm high; stems slender, branching dichotomously, usually leafless below. Leaves almost opposite in upper parts, linear to narrow-lanceolate, 5–50 mm long, 1–5 mm wide, apex obtuse, base attenuate, margins denticulate distally; petiole to c. 5 mm long; stipules apparently absent. Cyathia solitary, terminal or upper-axillary; peduncles to c. 1 mm long; involucre campanulate, to c. 1 mm long; glands ovate, c. 0.5 mm long, yellow, margins entire; male flowers 4 or 5 per fascicle at anthesis; female flowers with styles entire, capitate. Capsule depressed-globose, c. 3 mm long, c. 3.5 mm wide, erect, keeled, smooth, green; seeds more or less ovoid, to c. 2.5 mm long, deeply pitted and reticu-late, dark blue-green, caruncle small, thin, concavo-convex, sessile. Flowers throughout the year.