Annual monoecious aquatic or marsh herb. Terrestrial plants prostrate with erect stems 2–3 cm tall; leaves of terminal stem trifid, sessile; leaves of lateral branches densely crowded, linear, lamina 2–4 mm long. Aquatic plants with elongated stems to 10 cm long; lowermost leaves opposite, trifid, lamina 4–8 mm long; uppermost leaves sometimes alternate, linear, lamina 3–4 mm long. Bracteoles linear-deltoid, 0.8–1.25 mm long, attenuate, entire or with 2 or 3 basal teeth. Flowers 4-merous, sessile, solitary. Male flowers: sepals lanceolate, 0.5–0.8 mm long; petals 1.7–1.9 mm long, persistent, reddish; stamens 8. Female flowers: sepals lanceolate, 0.3 mm long; petals absent; ovary 4-locular, reddish; styles attenuate, reflexed; stigmas white to pale pink. Fruit obpyriform, reddish purple; mericarps lachrymiform, tuberculate.
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