Plants forming clumps to 1 m in diam.; persistent woody bases up to 2.5 cm in diam. Stems procumbent to erect, often much-branched, 10-30 cm, fleshy joints bright green, 3-20 × 2-3 mm. Inflorescences of many spikes, 5-35 mm, often with 5-10 sterile segments distally; fertile segments 2-20, 2-3 × 2-3 mm. Flowers: 1.5-2 × 1.2-1.5 mm; anthers 0.5-1 mm. Seeds dark brown, 1-1.4 mm.

Flowering late spring-late summer. Salt marshes, depressions in alkali sage scrub; 0-100(-400) m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California, Sinaloa, Sonora).