Annual, erect or ascending, often much branched from near the base, 5-50 cm long, in sunny localities often strongly tinged with purple; stems thin, in the leaf axils and on the young nodes often ± hairy, otherwise glabrous; pairs of leaves often distant. Leaves patent, variable in shape, lanceolate, oblong, elliptic or obovate, minutely mucron-ate, rather fleshy in a living state, glabrous, ¾-7½ by ½-2 cm; petiole 3-10 mm. Spikes usually terminal or in forkings of stem, sometimes also axillary, solitary or rarely paired, sessile or on thin and often rather long peduncles, at first shortly conical, afterwards lengthened, rather acute, dense, 1-2½ cm long; rachis pilose; lowest fruits often falling off before expansion of the highest flowers; bracts and bracteoles thinly membranous; bracts widely patent or subreflexed, ovate-lanceolate, concave, very acute, 1¼-1½ mm long, persistent; bracteoles ovate-triangular, nerveless, ½-¾ mm long, falling off together with the perianth and the fruit. Perianth much longer than the bract and the bracteoles. Tepals lanceolate, very acute, throughout their width with 3-5 strong longitudinal nerves, glabrous, 2-2½ mm long, not or hardly indurate after anthesis. Filaments very thin, lli-iU mm long (cup included). Style ½-1/5 mm, persistent. Utricle ellipsoid, compressed-pellucid but opaque at the apex, 1-1½ mm long. Seed vertical, shining black or blackish brown, ± 1 mm long or slightly longer.
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Herbs annual, 5-60 cm tall. Stem branched from base, often tinged purple, with long internode, in leaf axils and young nodes often hairy. Petiole 3-12 mm; leaf blade lanceolate, elliptic, or obovate, 1.5-7.5 × 0.5-1.5 cm, glabrous, base acuminate, apex acute. Spikes terminal or axillary, often solitary, rarely paired; sessile or with thin rachis, 1-3 cm. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1.5 mm; bracteoles ovate-triangular, ca. 0.5 mm, falling off with tepals and fruit. Flowers ca. 1 mm in diam. Tepals lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm, glabrous, with 3-5 strong veins abaxially, becoming rigid or not after anthesis. Stamens 0.5-0.75 mm. Styles persistent, ca. 0.5 mm. Utricles ellipsoid, 1-1.5 mm, compressed, transparent below. Seed black or blackish brown, shiny, ca. 1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.
An annual herb. It grows 10-20 cm high. It branches from the base and spreads. There is a long space between the nodes. The leaves are narrowly oval and 2-8 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The flowers are in spikes at the ends of the plants or in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are about 1 mm across. The seeds are black and shiny. They are 1 mm across.
A tropical plant. It grows in open places in tropical regions. It grows in humid places on hillsides. It grows between 1,000-2,000 m above sea level in southern China.
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Humid clayey fields, along ditches and trenches, locally often numerous, 5-1200 m, on the whole not a very common species.
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