Prostrate, closely branched softly woody plant, forming closely matted patches 20-30 cm. diam. Stems 10-20 cm. long, rooting sparingly; ascending branchlets closely uniformly lfy. Lvs widespreading and recurved, c. 5 × 2 mm., broadly obovate, narrowed to slightly connate base; lamina fleshy, obtuse, lower margin finely ciliolate. Flowering heads terminal, c. 2 × 1·5 cm., lax, formed of reduced 2-4-fld spikes. Bracts 4 mm. long, linear, obtuse. Calyx-lobes resembling bracts. Corolla white, tube 5 × 2 mm., lobes 3 × 1·5-2.5 mm. Capsule 5 × 2.5 mm., obtuse.

2n = 42

Subshrub, to 20 cm tall, forming mats up to 30 cm in diam. Branches prostrate or decumbent; internodes 0.9–5(–7.5) mm long. Leaves decussate to subdistichous, shortly connate, usually petiolate (unless lamina very narrow), erecto-patent to recurved, green to dark green; leaf bases shortly connate; lamina elliptic to obovate or oblong, often quite narrow, somewhat fleshy, 3.5–7.5(–9.5) mm long, (1.5–)2.0–5.5 mm wide; apex subacute to rounded, and often distinctly “dimpled”; leaf margin not thickened, often red, midrib very slightly thickened beneath, margin commonly ciliate toward base sometimes with minute glandular hairs along margin, usually entire or rarely minutely erose or shallowly toothed. Inflorescences terminal, simple, usually pedunculate (and sometimes also subtended by 2–4 lateral pedunculate spikes), or sometimes with numerous bracts at base containing aborted flower buds, 0.8–2 cm long, peduncle 0.15–0.4 cm long; bracts usually opposite, or lowermost pair opposite then subopposite or alternate above, connate or free; pedicels absent. Flowers on individual plants either hermaphrodite or female. Calyx 3.0–4.0 mm long, lobes elliptic to lanceolate or narrowly oblong, minutely ciliolate, margins membranous, often purplish. Corolla white; tube 2.8–3.0 mm long, slightly shorter than, or equalling calyx; lobes ovate, obtuse, patent to recurved. Anthers held in corolla throat, magenta, 1.0–1.2 mm long; sterile anthers of female flowers c. 0.7 mm long. Ovary glabrous, style 2–3.5 mm long. Capsules acute to subacute, 3.7–4.0 mm long, 1.8–2.0 mm wide, glabrous.