Annual or short-lived perennial herbs; stems succulent, sometimes slightly woody at base, spreading or cespitose, 5-50 cm long. Leaves crowded throughout stem length, obovate, elliptic, oblanceolate, or oblong, 2-10 mm long, 1-4 mm wide, those of a pair very unequal in size, sometimes some branches with leaves of a pair equal or all leaves of plant equal, 1-nerved, upper surface with crowded elliptic cystoliths, lower surface finely reticulate, margins entire, petioles 1-4 mm long, always shorter than the blade, stipules ca. 1 mm long. Flowers unisexual (and the plants monoecious or dioecious), in sessile glomerules or cymes, peduncles 1-6 mm long; staminate flowers 0.6-1 mm long, calyx lobes glabrous, each with a blunt, dorsal, apiculate appendage; pistillate flowers 0.8-1 mm long, outer calyx lobe slightly longer than others, with inconspicuous dorsal, apiculate appendages. Achenes ellipsoid, compressed, 0.5-1 mm long, slightly longer than the largest calyx lobe.

Diuretic (plant or decoction of roots).

Bureau of Plant Industry