Subshrub or small shrub, 20-60 cm high; white with spreading (axes) and adpressed (outer side of leaves, bracts, bracteoles) 0.3-0.6 mm long smooth, thick-walled, flat hairs, rarely sparsely hairy to almost glabrous. Stem intricately branched from the to 2cm thick base, gnarled and light grey like the branches; branches ascending to spreading, stiff, around the leaf bases with rings of persisting long hairs, becoming + spinescent, developing from gemma-like buds, cream-coloured; last order branches forming condensed, often regularly arranged 5-15 x 2.5-3.5(4) mm spikes. Leaves scale-like, broadly triangular, obtuse, 1.0-1.6 mm long and wide, at base dorsally much thickened, upper surface concave, glabrous; leaf axils on long shoots with silvery, angled, globular gemmae. Bracts and bracteoles subequal, similar to the leaves but only c. 1 mm long and wider than long. Tepals ovate, 1.4-1.6 mm long, the outer 1-1.2 mm wide, 1-veined, transverse line at 1/3, green blotch covered by the densely adpressed indumentum. Anthers 0.7-0.9 mm long including the 0.15-0.2 mm long obtuse appendage, divided for c. 2/3; filaments linear, 1.2-1.5 mm long, inserted on outer base of disc; disc cup-like, thickened, 0.3 mm wide, glabrous, the margin undulate or lobed. Style 0.4-0.6 mm long; stigmas 0.4-0.6 mm long, flat, inside shortly papillose. Fruiting perianth 4-5.5 mm diam., the wings subequal, pale, fresh often pinkish; upper parts of tepals stiff, straight, forming a cone; lower part of tepals moderately hardened, forming a broad obconical structure, flat base very narrow. Seed semi-globular, flattened above, 1 mm diam.