Small, erect, rather rigid shrub 10-75 cm. tall; stems and branches stout, sts decumbent and rooting at base, ascending, closely or rather sparsely branched. Ultimate branchlets erect, 3-10 cm. long, (2)-2.5-3·5 mm. diam., terete or weakly tetragonous at tips, rather hard and rigid, often glossy; internodes 1-2 mm. long, hidden or only very slightly exposed; nodal joint well-marked. Lvs 2-2*5 mm. long, connate for 1/4 to 1/2 length, broadly ovate-deltoid, thick, rounded on back, tip obtuse to subacute, convexly incurved and ± spreading, sts smoothly appressed and broadly obtuse with abrupt, small, blunt mucro. Spikes 1-1·5 cm. long, up to c. 15-fld. Bracts c. 2.5 mm. long, broadly ovate, obtuse to acute or mucronate, weakly ribbed. Calyx 2.5-3·5 mm. long, anterior lobes ovate-oblong, obtuse or subacute, weakly ribbed, free ⅓ to ⅔ length. Corolla-tube = or > calyx. Capsule 2.5-4 × 2-3 mm., oval to oblong, obtuse or subacute, > calyx.

2n = 40