Monoecious or dioecious shrub 0.3–3 m high; penultimate branchlets woody. Bark smooth. Branchlets ascending or curved, to 20 cm long; internodes 5–14 mm long, 0.7–1 mm diam., smooth, usually densely pubescent (rarely glabrous) in furrows; ribs flat or slightly rounded, usually with median groove, occasionally pubescent (but not in groove). Teeth 5–8, erect or spreading, 0.5–0.9 mm long, not overlapping, often withered. Male spikes 10–25 mm long, 7–9 whorls per cm; anther 0.7–1.1 mm long; bracteoles persistent. Cones cylindric to ovoid, longer than broad, sessile or on peduncle to 2 mm long; cone body 10–18(–23) mm long, 7–13 mm diam.; valves in several rows, hardly extending beyond cone body, truncate to obtuse, pyramidal protuberance shorter than bracteole body, truncate, often with minute deciduous mucro. Winged seeds 3–5 mm long, dark brown to black. Flowers all year.