Erect hemiparasitic herb, up to 45 cm tall. Stems branching near the base, often blackish or purple-red and fleshy.
Leaves small, usually less than 1 cm long, appressed and scale-like or spreading near the inflorescences, lanceolate-oblong to ovate-oblong.
Flowers in the axils of leaves or leaf-like bracts, together forming a spike-like inflorescence, yellow to orange, often with dark purple-red lines.