An assurgent, simple or sparingly branched, glabrous, succulent herb; stem 4-5 or sometimes 10 mm. thick when dry, ascending from the decumbent, rooting base to 60 cm. or more in large specimens; internodes 1-3 or 4 cm. long, leaf scars large, nodes commonly more or less tumid; leaves alternate, elliptic, lanceolate or oblance-olate, 2-4 cm. wide X 6-13 cm. long, apex attenuate and sharply more or less arcuately acuminate, base cuneate, decurrent, pinnately nerved, drying coriaceous and subopaque, commonly minutely dark-dotted and glandular beneath, minutely ciliolate at the apex; petiole 5-10 mm. long, or occasionally 15-20 mm. on lower leaves, more or less winged by the decurrent blade; spikes solitary, terminal, closely flowered, 3-4 mm. thick X 10-13 cm. long; peduncle 3-5 cm. long, sometimes with a small leaf or bract; floral bracts round-peltate; fruit about 1 mm. long, ellipsoidal, abruptly and truncately scutellate, sometimes yellowish at the base, stigma apical.
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