Prostrate perennial. Stems glandular-pubescent when young, spreading to c. 40 cm long. Leaves long-petiolate, rhombic-ovate, lamina 5–40 mm long, 3–25 mm wide; margin often finely undulate. Inflorescence usually rather dense, spike-like, sometimes branched near base, terminal, 1–5 cm long, smaller ovoid clusters usually in upper axils. Flowers unisexual; bracts and brac-teoles ovate to obovate, to c. 1 mm long; tepals 2 (rarely 3), narrowly obovate, c. 1.5 mm long, acute, or obtuse and mucronate; stamens 2 (rarely 3). Utricle indehiscent, distinctly exceeding perianth, flattened-obovoid or ellipsoid, 2.5–3 mm long, smooth or obscurely wrinkled; seed flattened-ellipsoid, brown, shiny, c. 1 mm diam. Flowers mainly Nov.–Mar.