A glabrous shrubby erect plant with smooth flattened finely striate leaf-like branches and branchlets modified into phylloclades; leaves alternate, few or absent, membranous or small, fleshy, rhomboid; flowers pedicellate, small, in lateral fascicles or spikes, green and white, 1-sexual; bract and bracteoles membranous, ochreate; disk absent or glandular; perianth campanulate, segments 5; stamens 8 or 9, reduced to staminodes or absent in female flowers; ovary 3-angled, style 3, often very short, stigmas broadly lobed or fimbriate; fruits, included the fleshy perianth, baccate; achene 3-angled, deep purple, when ripe.