Shrublets, herblike. Stems and branches thick, usually 10--15 cm tall; old branches densely covered by dark brown to black scales from persistent petiole bases. Leaves clustered on apical parts of young branches; petiole basally enlarged, nearly clasping; leaf blade oblanceolate to spatulate-oblong, 2--4 X 0.4--0.7 cm including petiole, fleshy, base attenuate, apex rounded. Inflorescences axillary, 7--16 cm, corymbose, rachis 2 or 3 X dichotomously branched; sterile branches often on basal part of rachis; spikes with 5--11 spikelets; spikelets 2--4-flowered; bracts broadly ovate, 2--2.5 mm, apex acute; first bractlet broadly elliptic, ca. 5 mm, apex rounded. Calyx funnelform, 5--6 mm; tube ca. 1 mm in diam.; limb usually plicate and slightly extended, lobes apically triangular. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct.