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Non-dioecious (hermaphrodite, hermaphrodite + female, female, occasionally male or hermaphrodite + male) subshrub with an often massive, ± rosette-like woody base. Stems numerous, mostly unbranched, (5)8-20(30) cm long, papillate to very shortly hairy and mostly ± densely leafy above. Leaves decussate, pseudo-verticillate; blades (4)6-12(22) x (0.5)0.8-1.5(2) mm, linear, linear-(ob-)lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, ± membranous; flat to somewhat revolute margins mostly papillate, midrib below often reddish-brown and prominent; petioles subobsolete; stipular sheath with 1 (rarely 3) small seta(e). Flowers subsessile, in clusters of 6-12/20 [as 2] (occasionally more) at nodes; corolla 4-merous, greenish to yellowish, often papillate near tip. Hermaphrodite, male: tube (0.5)0.7-1.4(1.7) mm long, narrowly funnel-shaped, lobes 1.2-1.9(2.5) x 0.3-0.7 mm; anthers 1-1.8(2) mm long; hermaphrodite: stigmas often shorter than in female; ovary 0.5-0.9 x 0.3-0.8 mm, with 4 ± indistinct calyx lobes. Female: tube 0.2-0.5 mm long, lobes 0.2-0.5 x 0.1-0.2 mm; style 0-0.5 mm long; stigmas 2.4-9.8 mm long; ovary as in hermaphrodite. Fruit reddish-brown, shiny; mericarps (1.5)1.8-2.4 x 1-1.5 mm, elliptic to obovate, mostly ± glabrous, often with 2 ± broadly triangular to rounded calyx lobes 0.1-0.3 x 0.3-0.4 mm.
Subshrub with many unbranched stems or ± robust dwarf shrub, 0.15-0.30 m high. Leaves narrowly ovate, tough and thick, glabrous, margins entire, papillate; stipular sheath with or without a minute seta. Flowers in clusters of 2-6 at nodes. Bisexual and male flowers: tube ± 0.5-1.9 mm long; anthers ± 1.5-2.5 mm long; small rudimentary ovary with rudimentary stigma; bisexual flowers shorter than in females. Female flowers: tube ± 0.2-0.5 mm long; style up to 1 mm long, stigma up to 7.5 mm long. Ovary ± 0.9 x 0.7 mm. Flowering time Nov.-Mar. Fruit mericarps ± 2.8 x 1.5 mm, curved, glabrous or covered with whitish hairs.
Caulibus strictis lignosis e radice ramosissimis, ramis versus apicem puberulis, foliis oppositis lineari-lanceolatis acutis subscabris margine revolutis patentissimis, floribus axillaribus verticillatis, mericarpiis oblongis glabris nitidis. Dec.-Suffrutex semipedalis. Flores masc. in ramulorum apicibus purpurascentibus. Folia 4-6 lin. longa, lineam lata.
Dwarf or subshrub, 50-400 mm high, not dioecious. Stems many, mostly unbranched. Leaves decussate; blade linear to narrowly ovate or obovate, (4-)6-12(-22) x (0.5-)0.8-1.5(-2.0) mm, glabrous. Flowers: corolla with tube up to 1.7 mm long, lobes up to 2.5 mm long; greenish to yellowish; Oct.-May. Fruit with mericarps elliptic to obovate, mostly ± glabrous.
Suberect, non-dioecious, dwarf shrub, ± 0.2-0.4 m tall. Leaves 4-ranked, in clusters, narrowly ovate to linear-lanceolate, ± rough and thickish, midrib often reddish brown beneath. Flowers in axillary clusters, ± sessile, but sometimes pedicellate in fruit, greenish to yellowish.
