Perennial herb, the taproot thickened and forked at the apex to form a rootstock, and covered with small cone-like vegetative buds bearing scales 0.2–0.8 mm long, also producing rhizomes bearing further buds; stems dull green, numerous, erect, forming tufts, 13–20 cm tall, with scale leaves at the base grading into leaves, then soon producing ascending branches, the first ones sterile, the subsequent ones fertile above; ribs strongly raised and running into the midribs of leaves and bracts, with a slight tendency to lesser raised ribs running into the edges of the leaves (often more apparent in the inflorescences).. Leaves: scales ovate to spathulate, 1–3 mm long; foliage leaves dull green, ascending, linear, 5–20x0.5–1 mm, acute and apiculate, minutely scabridulous along margins, the midrib slightly raised.. Flowers 3–many in dichasial cymes, the upper part of the plant conspicuously floriferous, rather lax to slightly crowded terminally; primary peduncles 5–15 mm long, shorter upwards; bracts basally adnate to peduncles for 1–2 mm, leafy, linear, 5–12x0.4–0.8 mm; bracteoles similar to bracts but smaller.. Perianth buff-coloured; tube 0.8–1 mm long, with glands no more than slight swellings below sinuses of lobes; lobes triangular, acute, 1–1.2x0.6–0.7 mm, minutely ciliolate.. Stamens inserted at base of perianth lobes; filaments 0.2–0.3 mm long; anthers 0.3–0.4 mm long.. Style 0.8–1 mm long; stigma reaching top of perianth tube or slightly above.. Fruit reddish brown, ovoid-globose, 2.2–3 mm long, 2–2.5 mm in diameter, ribbed and with moderately raised reticulation between.. Fig. 3 (page 10).
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