Procumbent slender herb, woody at base, occ. scrambling through low support. Branches slender, at length glab., up to 40 cm. long, us. less; base up to ± 6 mm. diam. Lvs thin, glab., entire or nearly so, of 2 main forms: (a) petiole filiform, seldom > 5 mm. long; lamina 4-10 × 4-10 mm., broad-ovate to suborbicular, ± emarginate and mucronulate (occ. with a few larger lvs): (b) petiole very slender, up to 2 cm. long; lamina 20-25 × 10-15 mm., oblong-ovate, occ. subacuminate, cuneately narrowed to base or truncate, not mucronulate. Specimens showing both forms are sts met with. Infl. of axillary and terminal very slender spikes, up to 10 cm. long, us. less; clusters few-fld, rather distant (sts lower part of spike nude). Per. segs 5, connate towards base, narrow-triangular, margined; stamens us. 5, styles 2. Fr. covered by persistent per.; pericarp adherent. Seed ± 1 mm. diam., black, horizontal (rarely vertical).

2n = 36

Procumbent, decumbent or ascending and straggling perennial herb, farinose at least when young; stems slender, becoming rather thick and woody at base. Petiole c. 5-(20) mm long, filiform. Lamina 2-12-(25) × 2-10-(15) mm, usually broad-elliptic to orbicular, less often oblong-ovate, thin, entire, rounded; apex often mucronulate, sometimes emarginate, occasionally acute. Fls in very slender axillary and terminal spikes; spikes 0.3-6-(10) cm long; glomerules few-flowered, distant, sometimes 0 in lower part of spike. Perianth segments connate at base, triangular to broad-ovate, investing fr.; margin membranous. Stamens 2-3. Seed usually horizontal, rarely vertical, 1-1.5 mm diam., lenticular, flattened; pericarp fairly easily removed, thin and not succulent or red. Testa glossy black, faintly striated.