Annual herb, (4-)10-45 cm, with many spreading branches from about the base upwards; stem and branches subterete, striate, glabrous or thinly hairy. Leaves narrowly to broadly elliptic, elliptic-oblong or ovate, entire, thinly hairy to glabrous or almost so, obtuse to subacute at the tip, lamina of the lower main stem-leaves c. 10-40 (-50) x 6-20 mm, gradually or more abruptly narrowed to a petiole about half the length of the lamina, upper and branch leaves becoming shorter and narrower. Flowers in dense, 3-15x 2-2.5 mm spikes, which are clustered in the leaf-axils of the stem and branches or on very short axillary shoots; spikes sessile, or the terminal spike on axillary shoots shortly (to c. 3 mm) pedunculate, inflorescence axis thinly to rather densely pilose; bracts hyaline, minutely erose, concave, acute or shortly acuminate, c. 0.5 mm, glabrous or very thinly hairy, nerveless; bracteoles minute, hyaline. Perianth segments broadly oval, c. 1-1.25 mm, sub-acute to shortly acuminate, villous on the outer surface, with a thick greenish vitta along the midrib, which extends c. two-thirds of the way up each segment. Stamens longer than the ovary and style. Capsule included, c. 0.75 mm, falling with the perianth. Seed c. 0.4 mm, chestnut-brown, smooth and shining.

Type: Linnean specimen 290/1 (LINN, holotype!).

Distribution: S. and S.E. Asia from India to Burma & Ceylon, also reported from Borneo; tropical Africa from Nigeria and the Sudan south to Angola and Rhodesia, Mauritius.

The normal habitat of this species is in sandy depressions or ditches in which water stands during some part of the year. Apparently a rare plant in the E. and S.E. of Pakistan, this being the westernmost part of the Asiatic range of the species.