Herb 2–10 cm high. Leaves linear, 2–6.5 cm long, 1.0–2.2 mm wide, 3–5-nerved, acuminate. Peduncle 1.4–10 cm long, with 4–6 ribs. Sheath 7–35 mm long. Flower heads globular or hemispheric, 2–3 mm long, 2.5–3.5 mm wide. Involucral bracts hyaline to black, elliptic to broadly elliptic, 1.4–1.75 mm long, 0.75–1 mm wide, obtuse, glabrous, strongly reflexed at maturity. Floral bracts black, narrowly elliptic, 1.0–1.6 mm long, 0.25–0.6 mm wide, acute, glabrous. Receptacle glabrous, conical. Male flowers c. 1 mm long; sepals 2 or rarely 3, free, black, linear, 0.35–0.75 mm long, c. 0.1 mm wide, acuminate, glabrous; petals 3, hyaline, dimorphic with one larger, acute, glabrous or pubescent, hairs hyaline, marginal; stamens 6; anthers yellow. Female flowers: apical flowers typically lacking perianth; sepals absent or rarely 2, black, equal, linear, c. 0.9 mm long, c. 0.01 mm wide, acuminate, glabrous; petals absent; ovary 3-locular. Seeds 0.25–0.35 mm long, 0.175–0.25 mm wide; smooth, lacking sculpturing or epidermal cell outline only faintly visible.
In the protologue it is described as occurring in wet places. Other recent collections and Sutter (2010) record the species as an aquatic in shallow seasonally inundated depressions and swamp margins on clay plains. Commonly associated species include Chorizandra enodis, Ornduffia reniformis, Gratiola pumilo,Centrolepis polygyna, Myriophyllum spp. and Utricularia dichotoma.
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