Annual, erect herb; branches grooved, stem strongly ribbed, glabrous; leaves linear, ovate-lanceolate acute or acuminate; flowers in solitary, cylindrical, short, dense spikes; long slender peduncles; flowers white, glistening, the uppermost occasionally sterile, sessile; bracts and bracteoles subequal, mucronate, pellucid, persistent; bracts scarious, much shorter than the sepals, acute; perianth of 5 distinct teplas, hyaline,1-nerved, scarious, pinkish, when young, turn white at maturity; stamens 5 united below into a cup, anthers 2-celled, staminodes absent; ovary 1-celled, 2-many ovuled; style filiform, purple; fruit ovoid or ellipsoid, urticles membranous, circumsciss; seeds minute, erect, black or brown shining.