Annual herb, (4-)10-45 cm, with many spreading branches from about the base upwards; stem and branches subterete, striate, glabrous or thinly hairy. Leaves narrowly to broadly elliptic, elliptic-oblong or ovate, entire, thinly hairy to glabrous or almost so, obtuse to subacute at the tip, lamina of the lower main stem-leaves c. 10-40 (-50) x 6-20 mm, gradually or more abruptly narrowed to a petiole about half the length of the lamina, upper and branch leaves becoming shorter and narrower. Flowers in dense, 3-15x 2-2.5 mm spikes, which are clustered in the leaf-axils of the stem and branches or on very short axillary shoots; spikes sessile, or the terminal spike on axillary shoots shortly (to c. 3 mm) pedunculate, inflorescence axis thinly to rather densely pilose; bracts hyaline, minutely erose, concave, acute or shortly acuminate, c. 0.5 mm, glabrous or very thinly hairy, nerveless; bracteoles minute, hyaline. Perianth segments broadly oval, c. 1-1.25 mm, sub-acute to shortly acuminate, villous on the outer surface, with a thick greenish vitta along the midrib, which extends c. two-thirds of the way up each segment. Stamens longer than the ovary and style. Capsule included, c. 0.75 mm, falling with the perianth. Seed c. 0.4 mm, chestnut-brown, smooth and shining.