It is a minute flowering plant which grows in mats on the surface of calm bodies of freshwater.

The individual plant is a flat, translucent, pale green oval body 2 to 4 millimeters long.

There is a longitudinal vein visible under magnification and microscopy.

The body produces a root which may exceed a centimeter in length, and a tiny, ephemeral flower which is often encapsulated in a membrane.

The plant often grows in clusters of two to seven individuals.