Herbs, perennial, with cylindric rootstock. Stems erect, branched, densely clumped, previous year’s dead stems often persistent, 30–70 cm, glabrous. Leaves alternate, persisting, spreading or ascending; stipules to 0.1 mm; petiole absent; blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, (20–)40–70 × (2–)4–5 mm, base narrowly cuneate, margins entire, apex broadly acute, surfaces glabrous; venation obscure, only midvein conspicuous on wider leaves. Cyathia in terminal dichasia; peduncle (2–)4–12(–18) mm proximal and mid peduncles and cyathia abscising early, sparsely to moderately strigose to sericeous. Involucre campanulate or hemispheric, 1.2–2.4 × 2.2–3.2 mm, pilose; glands 5, green, broadly elliptic, 0.7–0.8 × 1.3–1.6 mm; appendages white, forming narrow rim around distal margin of gland, 0.2 × 1.5–1.8 mm, entire or erose. Staminate flowers 20–25. Pistillate flowers: ovary strigillose to tomentulose; styles 0.4–0.6 mm, 2-fid at apex. Capsules globose, all 3 locules fertile, 3.2–4.5 × 4–6.5 mm, sparsely strigillose; columella 2.5–3.9 mm. Seeds gray-green to gray-brown, ovoid, 3.8 × 3 mm, shallowly and obscurely pitted; caruncle absent.
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