Herbs perennial, 30-100 cm tall. Stems erect, terete, much branched; lower branches subopposite, yellow-white, slightly ribbed, not striate, furfuraceous. Leaf blade rhombic-ovate to ovate-oblong, usually 2-3 × 1-2 cm, abaxially gray-white furfuraceous, adaxially gray-green furfuraceous, base cuneate to broadly so, decurrent, margin usually 3-lobed, proximal-middle lateral lobes entire, obtuse, middle lobes repand or entire, apex obtuse or acute, mucronulate. Inflorescences axillary glomerules, forming small, reduced panicles on upper branches. Male flowers: perianth 5-parted; stamens 5. Fruiting bracts connate only at base, rhombic-ovate to triangular-ovate, without appendages, basal central part mostly thickened and corky; pedicel 1-2 mm. Utricle compressed globose or lenticular; pericarp light yellow, membranous, adnate to seed. Seed red-brown, ca. 2 mm in diam.; perisperm white, solid. Fl. and fr. Sep-Dec.

This species was recently reported as naturalized in Hawaii (Wagner et al., Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap. 48: 51–65. 1997).

Sandy and coral-rocky seashores; near sea level. Fujian [Japan (Ryukyu Islands); naturalized in Pacific Islands (Hawaii)].