Erect, much-branched, rather rigid shrub up to c. 1 m. or more tall. Branchlets 2-3 mm. diam., strongly tetragonous, yellow-green; internodes c. 1 mm. long, entirely hidden; nodal joint well-marked. Lvs 1∙5-2-(2.5) mm. long, connate up to ⅓ length, broadly deltoid to semicircular, thick, strongly concavo-convex, rounded on back, appressed, apex obtuse or subacute, ribbed or striped with yellow for short distance from cartilaginous yellow margins, rather suddenly narrowed into thickened blunt yellow cusp or spine up to ⅓ total lf-length but sts much less. Spikes 3-12-fld. Bracts 2-3 mm. long, ovate-rhomboid, cuspidate, strongly ribbed, yellowish. Calyx 2-3 mm. long, anterior lobes oblong-ovate, subacute, ribbed, free for c. ⅔ length. Corolla-tube = or > calyx. Capsule 3-4 × 2 mm., oval, subacute, much > calyx.

2n = 40

n = 20

2n = 40

n = 20

n = 20

2n = 40