Low erect undershrub, up to c. 40 cm high. Stem terete, 5-10 mm ø, with only 4-7 leaves, young parts sparsely puberulous, glabrescent. Leaves membranous to chartaceous, elliptic, rarely ovate, 8-25 by 5-11 cm; apex acute, slightly obtuse, or short-acuminate; base rounded or subacute; glabrous above, sparsely short hairy on the nerves beneath and reticulations; 1 pair of basal nerves ascending close to the margin upward to c. ⅓ of the blade, much weaker than other nerves; lateral nerves 5-7 pairs, slightly elevated beneath, distinct sometimes faint above; veins loosely reticulate, some transverse, distinct beneath, rather faint above; petiole (2-) 3-4 cm, sparsely shortly hairy. Inflorescences in the axils of bracts and/or foliage leaves, rachis 2-3 cm long, with condensed internodes and bracts; bracts ovate, oblong, or lanceolate, 4-6 mm long, puberulous outside, glabrous inside. Pedicel and ovary 6-7 mm long, glabrous. Perianth straight, venation faint, glabrous outside, papillate inside; utricle oblong, ellipsoid or subglobose, c. 6 by 3-5 mm, with a distinct stipe (c. 2 mm) slightly flanged at base; tube 5-7 mm long; limb 1-lipped, oblanceolate, 18 by 4-6 mm. Stamens 6; anthers oblong, c. 0.7 mm long. Style column 1.5 mm long, 6-lobed; lobes triangular, c. 0.5 mm long, with an annular ring at the base. Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, 2-2.5 by 1.5 cm. Seeds triangular, convex-concave, c. 6 by 4.5 mm, verrucose on marginal part beneath, glabrous, covered above by the membranous appendage of the funicle, not winged.
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