[1] It grows as a trailing undershrub with thick, pale, furry stems, and thick, oval, saddle-shaped leaves 10-60 millimetres long and 5-30 millimetres wide.

Flowers occur in clusters of three to five, and comprise four light yellow perianth segments surrounding a centre of many stamens.

[3] In 1862 the name T. zeyheri was published by Eduard Fenzl, but this has since been determined to be a synonym of T. decumbens.

The plant is edible and is a local delicacy in its native southern Africa, where it is known as "dune spinach".

The organic material it produces prepares the way for ensuing plants.