Slender annual herb, much branched from the base upwards, 13–30 cm. tall, glabrous or almost so; stem and branches striate-sulcate.. Leaves linear-filiform, 0.5–4 cm. long, with axillary short shoots.. Inflorescences of globose to cylindrical 4–15 × 3 mm. spikes, but the flowers always appearing in a rounded head since the lower flowers and fruit fall quickly leaving only the persistent bracts; bracts lanceolate, ± 1 mm., membranous, mucronate with the slightly excurrent midrib, finally patent-deflexed; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, ± 0.75 mm.. Tepals creamy-or greenish-white, lanceolate-oblong, ± 1.5 mm., rather blunt, sulcate between the midrib and the 2 lateral nerves which meet it a little above halfway, the lower dorsal surface with minute barbellate and sometimes glochidiate whitish hairs, midrib scarcely reaching the tip of the tepal.. Stamens very delicate, slightly shorter than the perianth, with slender short, simple or incised, alternating pseudostaminodes.. Ovary glabrous.. Style slender, ± 0.5 mm.. Capsule ovoid, ± 1.2 mm.. Seed compressed-ovoid, ± 1 mm., brown, smooth.. Fig. 11/4.
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