Female flower: 11–14 × 2–4 mm. (incl. the 2·5–4 mm. long stipe), ± tubiform; hypanthium c. 1 mm. long; calyx-tube 4–5 mm. long; calyx-lobes 3–4 mm. long, oblong, obtuse to subacute, entire; petals 4–5·5 × 0·3–0·75 mm., lanceolate-linear, acute, 1-nerved, entire or shortly laciniate towards the apex, inserted at the same level as the corona, this consisting of fine hairs 0·5–0·75 mm. long; staminodes 1·5–2 mm. long, free or shortly connate at the base; disk-glands 0·33–0·5 mm. in diameter; pistil c. 7 mm. long; gynophore 1–2 mm. long; ovary 3–5 × 1·5–2·5 mm., ellipsoid-oblong, faintly 6-ribbed; styles c. 1 mm. long, free or connate; stigmas subglobular, woolly-papillate.
Leaf-lamina (2)4–7(9) × 0·5–1·5 cm., lanceolate-linear, acute or subobtuse at the apex with mucro up to 1·5 mm. long, entire at the margin, acute to rounded at the base, membranous, greyish-glaucous, punctate beneath, with 5–13 pairs of nerves and indistinct reticulation; petiole 0·1–0·3 cm. long.
Cymes sessile or with a peduncle 0·3–3 cm. long, l(2–3)-flowered in male and female, the flowers pendent; bracts and bracteoles c. 1 mm. long, narrowly triangular, acute; pedicels 10–20 mm. long in male, 5–10 mm. long in female.
Glands of the lamina-base 2, 0·5–1 mm. in diameter on the margin at the transition to the petiole; glands of the lamina 0.
Capsule 4–4·5 × 2·5 cm., fusiform, ± 3-angular, with thickly coriaceous pericarp, c. 30-seeded.
Erect herb up to 60 cm., arising from a turnip-shaped tuber up to 12 cm. in diameter.
Stems annual, simple or branched, with internodes 0·5–1·5 cm. long.
Seeds c. 5 × 3·5–4 × 2·5 mm., ± ovate, pitted.
Stipules c. 1 mm. long, linear.
Tendrils 0.