Perennial herb, subglabrous, 50-150 cm. Stems erect, rarely procumbent, with swollen nodes, usually reddish, rooting from nodes. Leaves up to 14 x 1-3 cm., short-petioled, ovate, oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, more or less tapering at base, acuminate at apex, greenish, often with a dark spot, appressed-puberulent on reddish midrib and near margin, pinnately nerved with prominent nerves, lower surface with golden-yellow glands; ochreae up to 2 cm., shorter than internodes, membranous, entire or very short-fringed at apex, more or less glabrous. Peduncles and pedicels often glandular. Inflorescences spike-like, 2-7 cm., axillary or terminal, cylindrical, slender, sometimes more or less interrupted. Ochreoles shorter than flowers, membranous, rhombic-ovate and tapering at apex, obsoletely ciliolate. Flowers about 2 mm., very short-pedicelled. Tepals white or pink. Style with 2 long, recurved-spreading lobes. Achene about 2 mm., lenticular, suborbicular, slightly concave on both sides, with somewhat thickened rim, brown, shining. Fl. April-November.