Woody stems prostrate to procumbent, creeping and usually rooting, often forming mats to 1 m diam.; with numerous, erect stems, simple or sparingly branched, 10-20(-30) cm, larger fleshy segments 10-25 × 2-3 mm. Terminal spikes: larger with 7-14 fertile segments, 10-25 mm. Fertile segments: larger ones 1.6-3.1 × 2.9-4.4 mm; central flowers 1.3-2.8 × 1.3-2.7 mm; anthers 0.8-1 mm. Seeds 1.1-1.3 mm, pubescent; hairs strongly curved or hooked, most exceeding 1 mm, slender. 2n = 18.
Seeds brown; testa clothed with minute hairs recurved or coiled at apex.
Perianth truncate, with a lateral shield in whose centre the perianth opens.
Flowers 3 in a cluster, rarely 4 or 5, not hidden by bract below.
Sterile segments 3–5 mm. in diam., “dull green to shiny green, fading to yellow or reddish-brown” (Tölken, l.c. supra.) Spikes 15–35 (50) mm. long, tapering in flower, cylindrical in fruit.
Prostrate or decumbent herb forming mats 10–25 cm. high.
