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Female spike terminal, rarely also 1–2 spikes axillary in the upper axils, up to 10 cm long with a peduncle 3–5 cm long; bracts accrescent to 1.3 × 2 cm, transversely ovate, acuminate, repand-dentate, densely stipitate-glandular on the margin, evenly so without, glabrous within, viscid, yellowish-green, 1-flowered.
Female flowers sessile; sepals 3, 1 mm long, ovate, glandular-ciliate; ovary 1 mm in diameter, 3-lobed, pubescent towards the apex and also with 1–2 stipitate glands; styles 2–4 mm long, ± free or united at the base, laciniate, glabrous or sparingly pubescent, green, yellow or red.
A perennial caespitose herb or suffrutex 15–50(90) cm tall; stems annual from a rhizomatous woody rootstock, several, erect, sometimes decumbent or semiprostrate, simple or occasionally few-branched, channelled, viscid glandular-pubescent, burned back each year.
Male racemes axillary, solitary, up to 18 cm long on a peduncle up to 5 cm long, dense flowered; axis glandular-pubescent; bracts 3 mm long, linear, glandular-pubescent.
Male flowers: pedicels 1 mm long, slender; buds tetragonal-subglobose, subglabrous, greenish, sometimes reddish-tinged; anthers yellowish-cream.
Seeds 2.5 × 2 mm, subglobose, smooth, dark grey or pale straw-coloured, ecarunculate.
Fruits 3 × 4 mm, deeply 3-lobed, sparingly pubescent, dark green, sordid.
Stipules 5–8 mm long, linear-subulate, glandular-pubescent.
Petioles 1–3 cm long.
