Herbs, annual, monoecious, 2–5 dm; branching not phyllanthoid. Stems terete, not winged, glabrous. Leaves spiral, all well developed; stipules not auriculate, reddish purple to pale brown; blade elliptic to narrowly oblong-elliptic or nearly linear, (15–)20–40(–45) × (1.8–)2.5–8(–9) mm, base cuneate-attenuate, apex acute to mucronate, both surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences cymules, borne on lateral branches only, bisexual, with 1 pistillate flower and 4–6 staminate flowers. Pedicels: staminate 1.5–2.5 mm, pistillate spreading to sharply recurved, (2.5–)3.2–6.5(–8.7) mm. Staminate flowers: sepals 4, dark reddish purple, central portion sometimes paler, medially incurved and distally spreading (calyx appearing urceolate), 1.5–2.5 mm; nectary intrastaminal, annular, 4-lobed; stamens 2, filaments distinct. Pistillate flowers: sepals (5–)6, dark reddish purple, central portion sometimes paler and greenish purple, proximally flat to incurved and distally spreading, (1.3–)1.5–2.5(–2.9) mm, 1-veined; nectary annular, entire or 6-angled. Capsules 7–9.8 mm diam., smooth. Seeds mottled light and dark brown, (4.4–)4.7–6.2(–6.6) mm, 2 surfaces minutely papillate, 1 surface smooth. 2n = 16.
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An annual plant that grows on sand dunes. The leaves are long and narrow. The flowers and then the fruit are in the axils of leaves.
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