Richly branched, fleshy, moniliform-looking low shrubs, with short globular to cylindrical branches, and jointed stems with rudimentary blades of opposite connate scale-like leaves, glabrous, glaucous-greenish. Flowers mostly in 3s somewhat immersed in the axis of inflorescence, perfect or polygamous, arranged in short, dense lateral and terminal spicate inflorescence; perianth segments 3, united below, membranous, inflexed at tip, not appendaged in fruit; stamen 1. Ovary with a thick style and 2 subulate stigmas; utricle ovoid with membranous pericarp; seed vertical with arcuate embryo.