Perennial herb; rootstock slender, bearing 1–several stems at the apex and later scattered along slender lateral rhizomes; vegetative buds inconspicuous, cone-like, 1–2 mm long, with scales mostly less than 0.5 mm long; stems green, erect, 6–35 cm tall, slender, simple to virgately branched; ribs evident almost to base of the stem, extending upwards into midrib of scales and bracts.. Leaves all reduced to scales, grading upwards into bracts, ± scarious, ovate to lanceolate, 1–3x0.7–1.2 mm, acute or subacute, slightly erose.. Flowers solitary in each bract, sessile, ± 8–20, laxly arranged in spikes starting near base of stem and sometimes extended as sterile scaly shoots above; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–2.5x0.7–1.2 mm, acuminate, keeled, slightly fimbriate or ciliate; bracteoles 2, similar but often a little longer.. Perianth yellow-green, white inside; tube 1.5–2.5 mm long, with elongate linear-elliptic glands from near base to near sinuses of lobes, sometimes obscure; lobes linear-triangular, 2–2.8 mm long, with a small hood 0.2–0.3 mm long, margins inflexed, fimbriate near apex inside or all along the margins.. Stamens inserted at base of perianth lobes; filaments 1 mm long, visible below the anther; anthers 0.7–1 mm long.. Style 3.5–4.5 mm long; stigma reaching base of hoods.. Fruit buff to light brown, ovoid-globose, 2.5–3 mm long, 2–2.5 mm in diameter, strongly ribbed and reticulate.
Home