Herb, perennating by deep underground stolons. Stems annual, to 30 cm tall, ribbed, scabrid with hairs hooked at apex or almost glabrous. Lvs sessile, alternate, sometimes opposite towards base, 1–3.5 × 0.3–0.8 cm, lanceolate or nearly so, entire or deeply toothed or lobed with deltoid or falcate-deltoid teeth, grey-green, glabrous above, scabridulous beneath and on margins; base attenuate; upper lvs usually entire. Dichasia of 1–3 fls, axillary; primary bracts leaflike, to c. 1 cm long, linear-lanceolate, entire or nearly so. Pedicels 0.1–0.2 mm long. Fls 4-merous, ± reddish. Sepals 1–1.5 mm long, puberulent outside. Petals c. 2 mm long, often reddish, hooked; keel scabridulous. Stamens 8; anthers 1.3–1.4 mm long, narrow-oblong. Ovary 4-celled, not ribbed. Stigmas purplish, fimbriate. Fr. c. 2.5 mm long, subgobose to broad-ovoid, 4–8-ribbed in upper part, rugose; ribs scabridulous.
[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]
Flowering: Dec.–Jan.