Perennial closely branched herb forming us. green mat several cm. across, attached by central root system but with adventitious roots sts well developed. Internodes on main axes often > lvs and then short lfy laterals have tufted effect. Lvs 2.5-6 × 0·5 mm., subulate, acute and shortly mucronate, us. entire, sts minutely serrate on keel. Fls in pairs of uneven age sessile on top of common axillary peduncle, each fl. subtended by 2 membr. bracts. Sepals 5, acute; stamen 1 on very short ring, filament < sepal length. Fr. c. 1·7 × 0·8 mm. overall, broadest about middle, persistent sepals about half length of perig. cup; peduncles elongating to 10-15 mm., much > lvs when fr. is ripe, retaining after fr. falls the 4 cruciate membr. bracts, the outer and larger pair < 2 mm. across.

2n = 48

Lax mat-forming perennial; stems decumbent, to 5 cm tall, glabrous; internodes 1-3 mm long. Lvs paired and sometimes fascicled, ± spreading, linear, glabrous or rarely finely scabrid, shortly acicular, (3)-5-7 × 0.5 mm. Peduncles glabrous, short at flowering, elongating at fruiting to 8-20 mm. Bracts in 2 pairs, broadly deltoid, scarious, keeled, up to 1 mm long. Fls paired. Sepals 5, narrow-triangular, not scarious, at fruiting connivent and c. 1/2 length of the smooth perigynous zone; whole fr. 1.5-2 mm long. Stamen 1, included in calyx.