Herb, prostrate or semi-erect, fleshy, glabrous except minute papillae especially on young growth; stems up to 60 cm. Leaves oblong, elliptic or ovate, acute or obtuse, those in each pair unequal, 10–50 mm long, 5–20 mm wide, green above, lighter below; midrib distinct. Petiole 5–25 mm long. Flowers in groups of c. 20, subsessile; bract triangular, acuminate, occasionally toothed, 4 mm long. Perianth oblong, segments 3 mm long, white, pink or purple inside. Fruit a hard, truncate cylinder, c. 5 mm long, circumsciss near base; two seeds remaining in base; operculum divided into 2 bell-shaped valves, the lateral edges with raised ridge of 3–4 teeth. Seeds compressed pea-shaped, c. 2 mm across, rugose with ridges extended into papillae, black.
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