A prostrate or sprawling herb with erect or ascending lateral branches. Stems slender, mostly underground, with internodes 0.4-2 cm long, the aerial shoots up to 15 cm long, sharply ridged, with shorter internodes. Leaves small, in whorls of 3-6, ovate-elliptical, 2-3 mm long, acute or mucronate, aristate, with a pale-coloured slightly revolute margin. Stipules persistent, less than 1 mm long, cut into coarse threads. Flowers almost sessile, greenish, in groups in the upper axils. Perianth less than 1 mm long, the segments united at the base. Stamens on a very small ring-like disc. Ovary rounded; style very short. Fruit 3-angled, wider than deep. Seeds brown, very finely rugose.
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