Monoec. prostrate to decumbent much-branched herbs; main root rather slender; branches up to ± 4 dm. long, light to yellowish brown, becoming glab.; branchlets soft, clad in bladdery papillae. Lvs on papillose short-petioles to subsessile; lamina fleshy, densely clad in bladdery papillae; 6-15 × 3-10 mm., ovate-oblong to obovate to elliptic; entire to sinuate. ♂ solitary, axillary, or 2-5 in a cluster, towards tips of branches; per. segs oblong, obtuse; stamens 5. ♀ solitary or 2-3 together, in axils of lower lvs, shortly peduncled; bracteoles connate into urceolate, 2-lipped envelopement of fr. Per. 0, styles 2. Seed erect, compressed, edges opp. lips, ± 2 × 1·5 mm., reddish brown.

n = 9, 9 bivalents

n = 9 bivalents

Decumbent, sprawling lightly branched, succulent. leafy, monoecious, annual herb, forming circular mats or Iow mounds within sand, to 2 or 3 m diam. Branches 20-150 mm long, succulent, cream or yellow, rooting at nodes; exposed surfaces coated with deciduous, watery, spherical, glistening papillae. Cotyledons (5-)10- 12 × (3-)5(-7) mm, succulent, Pale yellow, margins entire; these followed by 2-3 Pairs of ± sinuate, or lobed juvenile leaves. Adult leaves (5-)10(-20) × (2-)5(-7) mm, oblong-obovate, ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, green to glaucous-green, succulent. Petioles short 0.5-1 mm. Leaf surface glabrous, sparsely to densely covered in deciduous watery, spherical, glistening papillae; apex and base obtuse; margin entire, very rarely with one or two lobes. Male flowers axillary, in clusters of 3-4, rarely single; occasionally with rudimentary stigma; perianth lobes 5 , green or pale cream, 1.2 mm long, elliptic-oblong, apex inflexed, cucullate, margins laciniate-crenate, abaxial surface covered in watery papillae; stamens 5 , filaments 0.6 mm long, white, anthers 0.2 mm long, oblong, basifixed, pollen sulphur yellow. Female flowers minute, (1-) 1.5(-2) mm, shortly stipitate, borne in leaf axils, either solitary, or in pairs, usually accompanied by a short shoot with one pair of reduced leaves. Peduncles minute, 0.25 mm long. Perianth absent; bracteoles fused for ¾ of their length, lips entire; external bracteole surfaces entirely covered in watery, spherical, glistening, papillae 0.2-0.3 mm diam.; style connate, stigmas 2, 1-1.3 mm, white, half exserted, tapering-terete, 0.1-0.2 mm diam., exserted portion with antrorse papillae. Ovary flattenedat right angles to lips, 0.5 mm diam., sessile or almost so. Fruiting bracteoles (3.3-)5(-9.5) × (2.2-)3.7(-6) mm, light brown or tan, subsessile or shortly stipitate; urceolate, valves rigidly hsed for ¾ of their length, swollen toward base, corky, otherwise coriaceous with an entire margin, apex usually entire, rarely finely crenate, or fimbriate; Surface densely coated in watery papillae 0.2-0.3 mm diam. Seed circular in outline, convex, (1.8-)2(-4) mm diam., testa chestnut-brown, maturing to purple- brown, fading to black in herbarium specimens, surface matt, ± smooth, Or finely rugose; radicle lateral erect. FL Oct-Apr; FT Nov-May.