Erect, compact, totally hairless shrublet up to 20cm. Leaves are 3-nate; bearing umbels of three to nine flowers at the ends of branchlets; small, tubular, to narrowly cup-shaped, pink to pale pink with exserted anthers.

Latin: equinus = pertaining to horses, staeta = animal hair, coarse stuff, folium = leaf; referring to the likeness of the leaves of this species to the Equisetum genus (Horsetails).