Species formerly placed in Arthrocnemum are low shrubs up to 1.5 metres (5 ft), much branched from base, and often forming mats.
The opposite leaves are sessile, joined at base and forming a cup around the stem, fleshy, glabrous, their blades reduced to small, cuspidate scales up to 5 mm.
The perianth consists of 3–4 joined tepals usually concrescent to the apex, these are directed upwards and protrude the length of the bracts by up to one-third to one-half.
[1] The genus was considered to be distinct, either via phylogenetic research published in 2006[3] or by the morphology of its species' fruit.
[1] A study in 2017 did not uphold this conclusion, and species formerly placed in the genus were divided between two new genera, Arthrocaulon and Arthroceras.