Plant slender, erect, 50-80 cm in diam. Stems usually with rudimentary leaves on each growth segment; internodes terete or flattened upwards, (0-)10-25(-45) mm long, 0.5-2 mm in diam. Leaves usually rudimentary and normally developed in successive pairs; normally developed leaves linear to narrowly elliptic, attenuate to contracted at the base, more or less sessile, often undulate at the margin, rounded at the apex, obscurely 1-nerved, with veins usually not visible, (5-) 10-40 by 1.5-4 mm; rudimentary leaves rarely lacking, rarely in two successive pairs, (0-)4-12 mm above each leafy node, 0.3-0.5 mm high. Inflorescences mostly terminal, mostly solitary, rarely in threes, rarely axillary, 1.5-10 mm long, a spike of 3—9(—16) pairs of single flowers or sometimes triads; internodes 0.5-1.5 mm long; the bracteal cup c. 0.3 mm long; bracteoles (when present) acute to truncate, almost entire or weakly serrate, c. 0.4 mm long. Fruit ellipsoid to almost globose, smooth, red.
Home