Herbs perennial, 10-20 cm tall. Root stout, terete, to 3 cm in diam. Caudex brown to dark brown, densely tomentose; annual branches numerous, borne on caudex, erect, branched above, with 8-12 internodes; branches opposite, horizontal or apically recurved, 2-3 cm; internodes terete, 2-3 mm in diam., smooth, sometimes with leaf scars. Leaves scale-like, semiorbicular, 1-2 mm, margin submembranous, apex obtuse or acute, awnless. Flowers solitary in leaf axils, arranged into short spikes on upper branches and branchlets; bractlets with membranous margin. Outer 3 perianth segments broadly elliptic to oblong, winged in fruit; wing slightly spreading, elliptic to suborbicular; inner 2 perianth segments narrower, wingless or with a short, winglike process. Disk lobes linear, apex subtruncate. Ovary broadly ellipsoid, smooth; styles erect, black, short. Utricle of same shape as ovary; pericarp yellow-brown, 2.5-3 mm in diam., fleshy. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.
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