Low woody shrub, stems often ∞, to 30 cm. long, decumbent or ascending. Branchlets glab. or with a little pubescence below nodes, the short internodes mostly hidden by closely imbricate lvs. Lvs erect to spreading, 6-13 × (3)-4-9 mm., broadly ovate to obovate-spathulate, ± concave, coriac. to fleshy, bases shortly connate and ciliolate; lamina subacute to broadly obtuse, glab., entire or with a few pairs of small notches, margin bordered but not thickened. Fls in a compact oblong head 1·5-3 cm. long and us. broader than lfy shoot; infl. of ∞ several-fld spikelets in axils of little-altered lvs emerging into a terminal spikelet. Bracts 4-7 mm. long, lanceolate to linear, obtuse, shortly ciliolate near base only. Calyx-lobes like bracts but slightly longer. Corolla white, tube long, narrow, lobes short. Capsule erect, to 6 × 4 mm., rather tumid, ovate and narrowed to rounded tip, glab.

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2n = 42

Subshrub, to 20 cm tall, 30 cm diam. Branches ascending; internodes 2.5–7(–10) mm long. Leaves decussate, sessile, erecto-patent, green to dark green (sometimes tinged dark red); leaf bases connate; lamina elliptic to obovate or ovate, or rarely spathulate (lowermost leaves), coriaceous to fleshy, flat, (6.6–)8.2–13 mm long, (4.2–)5.5–9.3(–11.6) mm wide; apex rounded to subacute; midrib slightly thickened beneath; margin not thickened, rounded, glabrous, entire or bluntly incised and/or obscurely erose, red or green, glabrous. Inflorescences terminal and lateral, reduced spikes arranged in a dense terminal flowering head, (0.85–)1.3–3.3 cm long; lowermost pair of bracts in a spike opposite and connate, then subopposite or alternate above, oblong to deltoid or lanceolate, acute to subacute or rarely obtuse, minutely ciliolate and sometimes also glandular hairy inside; pedicels absent. Flowers on individual plants either hermaphrodite or female. Calyx 4–5(–6) mm long, oblong or elliptic to lanceolate, subacute to obtuse, minutely ciliolate and glandular hairy inside, margins green (often tinged red near apices). Corolla white; tube 4.0–6.0 mm long, shorter than or equalling calyx; lobes shorter than corolla tube, glabrous, elliptic, subacute, patent, with margin and apex flat. Anthers held in corolla throat, pink, 1.1–1.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous, style 2– 2.4(–4) mm long; stigma subcapitate. Capsules subacute, 5–6 mm long, 2.5–3.7 mm wide, glabrous.