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Leaf blades 1–5 × 0.4–2.5 cm, ovate-lanceolate or ovate-trullate, subacute or obtuse at the apex, finely crenulate to subentire on the margin, cuneate or rounded at the base, membranous, sparingly puberulous or pubescent on both surfaces, especially on the midrib and main nerves, or else ± glabrous, 3–5-nerved from the base; lateral nerves in 4–6 pairs.
Female spikes terminal, or apparently lateral when a lateral shoot arises from beneath one, 1–6 × 0.5–1 cm, cylindric or sometimes ovoid, subsessile or shortly pedunculate; bracts 7 × 8–9 mm, ± reniform, pubescent, eglandular, often reddish-tinged, 1-flowered, 16–20-toothed, the teeth c. 3 mm long, linear. Allomorphic female flowers solitary, axillary.
Female flowers sessile; sepals 3, 1 mm long, triangular, acute, ciliate; ovary 0.5 mm in diameter, deeply 3-lobed, sparingly pubescent at the apex, otherwise ± glabrous; styles free, 7–8 mm long, slender, filiform, simple, glabrous, dark red. Allomorphic female flowers long-pedicellate, the pedicels up to 3 cm long, capillary.
An annual herb with an erect lead shoot to c. 15 cm high and numerous prostrate, decumbent or ascending lateral shoots up to 30 cm long.
Male flowers sessile; buds subglobose, minute, sparingly pubescent to subglabrous, reddish; anthers creamy-white.
Seeds 1.3 × 1 mm, ovoid-subglobose, smooth, pinkish-brown, with a small white velar caruncle.
Fruits 1.5 × 2.5 mm, deeply 3-lobed, sparingly pubescent at the apex, otherwise glabrous.
Fruits of the allomorphic flowers 2 × 1.5 mm, obovoid, tuberculate, minutely puberulous.
Male spikes axillary, up to 13 cm long, with a peduncle up to 9 cm long; bracts minute.
Stipules c. 1 mm long, subulate.
Stems puberulous or pubescent.
Petioles 0.3–1(2) cm long.
