Plants 8-25 cm tall. Stems branched from base, usually decumbent. Petiole 4-15 mm; leaf blade 6-12 × 5-7 mm, slightly succulent, base cuneate, margin entire or 3-lobed, apex subobtuse or acute; veins obscure. Male flowers: perianth light brown, ca. 0.8 mm; segments triangular, furfuraceous; anthers ca. 0.5 mm. Utricle black-brown, 1-1.5 mm. Seed testa black, lustrous; embryo light green or brownish. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

Ruderal habitats in alpine zones; above 4000 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Xizang [Nepal, Sikkim; C Asia (Pamir mountains)].