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Stems erect, branched, stout to robust, usually 1.5-3 m (occasionally to 9 m!) × 30 cm. Leaves: petiole 1/3-2/3 length of blade; blade narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 10-20 × 1-4 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex acute or long-attenuate to acuminate. Inflorescences mostly terminal, linear spikes to panicles, usually interrupted. Bracts: of pistillate flowers 1.5-2 mm; of staminate flowers with moderately heavy midribs, 1.5-2 mm. Pistillate flowers: tepals absent; style branches spreading; stigmas 3-5. Staminate flowers: tepals 5, inner tepals with moderately prominent, excurrent midribs, equal, 2-2.5 mm, apex subacute to mucronulate; stamens 5. Utricles stramineous to brown, with 3(-5) longitudinal ridges corresponding to 3-5 style branches, elliptic or obovoid, 1.5-2.5 mm, slightly fleshy, smooth (slightly rugose in herbarium specimens). Seeds reddish brown to dark brown, 1-1.2 mm diam., shiny.
A herb. It grows each year from seed. It grows 1-3 m tall.
