Many stemmed, sprawling perennial with stems up to 50cm long and erect branches up to 15cm high; often roots at the nodes. Leaves opposite on short branches, dark green in colour, linear and cylindrical with young leaves hairy. White hairy flowers up to 10mm across, one to three at the tips of the branches.

The superior ovary has 5 chambers with many seeds in each, which give rise to woody top-shaped fruits which persist on the older stems.

Latin: sarmentum = twigs or shoots that need pruning, -osus = indicates abundance or full development: referring to the long runners of this species