Suberect, sprawling perennial, 10-40 cm. Leaves indistinctly petiolate, acicular to narrowly lanceolate, shortly and variably hairy, entire. Flowers greenish, bisexual umbellules with 4 (not 2) bracts. Fruit oblong, slightly ribbed, smooth, commissure very prominently bulging.
Like C. cochlearia but leaves indistinctly petiolate, shortly and variably hairy. Male umbellules 5-flowered, bracts 2. Bisexual umbellules 1-flowered, bracts 4. Flowers greenish, without a well-developed stylopodium. Mericarps slightly ribbed.