Dioecious, slender stemmed herb with 1-5 cm long internodes. Roots simple, solitary at the nodes. Nodal scales suborbicular or obovate, 3-8 mm long, faintly keeled, ± auricled at the base, apically emarginate. Leaves paired, oblanceolate-elliptic to ovate, 1-4 cm long, 0.5-2 cm broad, glabrous, rounded or acute at the base, margins entire, apex obtuse; petiole 1-4.5 (-6) cm long. Spathes with 2 free, overlapping, lanceolate, acuminate bracts. Flowers solitary or paired. Male flowers: sepals elliptic, c. 4 mm long and c. 2 mm wide, obtuse or faintly apiculate. Female flowers: ovary c. 1-1.5 mm long, beak 3-3.5 mm long; styles 3, filiform 1.3-2 cm long. Fruit ovoid-globose, 3-4 mm long with c. 3 mm long rostrum. Seeds numerous, ovoid with finely reticulate testa.

Fl. Per.: September-November.

Type: Described from New Holland.

Distribution: Coasts of Madagascar, E. Africa, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India eastwards to Japan via Malaysia and southwards to Australia.