Low-growing shrub with decumbent or ascending woody stems often ∞ and to 40 cm. long, internodes short and almost hidden by lvs. Lvs spreading and us. rigidly recurved, c. 5-7 × 4-6 mm., broadly ovate-oblong, bases connate and minutely ciliate; lamina strongly keeled, subacute, glab., coriac., entire with thickened border. Infl. compact, c. 15 × 12 mm., consisting of ∞ several-fld spikelets (only lowest 2-4 fls of each spikelet fully developed) in axils of little-altered lvs, surmounted by a terminal spikelet. Bracts c. 4 mm. long, elliptic, keeled, long-ciliate. Calyx-lobes similar to bracts but slightly longer. Corolla white, tube narrow, c. = calyx, lobes shorter. Capsule erect, to 3·5 × 2 mm., narrow-oblong and subacute, glab.

2n = 42

n = 21

Subshrub to 40 cm tall, 80 cm diam. Branches decumbent, or ascending; internodes 1–3 (–4.5) mm long. Leaves decussate, connate, sessile, patent to recurved on plants with thickened leaf margins, or erect to erecto-patent on plants without thickened leaf margins, light to mid green, tending to remain attached to stem when dead; leaf bases connate, ciliate; lamina broadly oblong or ovate or elliptic, rigid, (2.5–)4–8(–9) mm long, 2.5–5.5(–7) mm wide; apex obtuse or subacute; leaf margin either conspicuously thickened or not thickened, midrib thickened to form a prominent keel on plants which have a thickened leaf margin, margin commonly ciliate toward base and almost always glabrous towards apex, usually entire or rarely minutely crenulate, yellowish, green or red. Inflorescences terminal and lateral, reduced spikes arranged into a compact terminal flowering head, (0.5–)0.8–2.6 cm long; bracts opposite and decussate or lowermost pair in a spike opposite, then subopposite or alternate above, connate; pedicels absent. Flowers on individual plants either hermaphrodite or female. Calyx 3.4–5.8 mm long, lobes ovate to lanceolate or elliptic, ciliate, margins sometimes red. Corolla white; tube 3.8–4.8 mm long in hermaphrodite flowers, 2.4–4.0 mm long in female flowers, slightly shorter than or equalling calyx; lobes elliptic or ovate or occasionally narrowly obovate, subacute or obtuse, suberect to recurved. Anthers held in corolla throat, dark pink to purple, 1.2–2.1 mm long; sterile anthers dark pink, 0.8–1.1 mm long. Ovary glabrous or eglandular hairy, style 2.5–6(–7) mm long (generally longer in hermaphrodite flowers than in female flowers). Capsules subacute, 2.7–4.5 mm long, 1.5–2.6 mm wide, glabrous or hairy.