Plants 7-35 cm tall. Stem erect to ascending, ribbed. Leaves 1-4 cm long, glabrous to scabrid, in clusters, with 1-2 minute basal lobes, c. 1 mm long. Flowers bisexual, in dense, 2-25 cm long spikes; bracts 1-1.5 mm long, linear to lanceolate, persistent. Sepals 4, subequal, 1-1.5 mm long, connate at the base. Petals 2, united more than half way up or free. Stamens 3-4, sometimes abortive; filaments united at the base, c. 1.5 mm long. Capsule erect, subglobose, c. 3 mm broad; teeth acute, c. 1 mm long, membranous. Seeds less than 1 mm long, greenish-black, glaucous.

Fl.Per.: January-April.

Type: Egypt, Hornemann 1813 (C, lectotype).

Distribution: SW. USA., N. Africa, Syria, Iran, India, Pakistan and West-wards to Spain and the Canary Islands.

A common desert spring annual of the plains and the foothills, found up to 1000 m. Often found in waste and saline places. Those growing near moist areas tend to be less branched and with numerous slender leaves and shorter spikes. The lobes at the bases of leaves may be stipular in nature.