Herbaceous, slender, 2-6 dm. high. Stem simple or slightly branched, essen-tially glabrous or glabrescent, prostrate to ascending, sometimes rooting at the nodes. Leaves strongly asymetric, straight (or rarely transversely ovate) acuminate, unequally cuneate to cordate at base, subpinnately nerved, occasionally shallowly lobed with ciliate-serrate margins, 4.5-7 cm. long, 1.5-2 cm. wide, essentially glabrous on both surfaces, petioles 0.5-2 cm. long, glabrous, stipules persistent, lanceolate, up to 2 cm. long, entire, glabrous, acuminate. Peduncles axillary, 2-3 cm. long, glabrous. Cymes laxly few-flowered. Bracts persistent, lanceolate to ovate, subentire to ciliate-serrulate, 1-2 mm. long. Staminate pedicels very slender, to 6 mm. long. Staminate tepals 2, ovate to suborbicular, 2 mm. long and broad. Stamens free, few, anthers elliptic or ovate, the connective produced. Pistillate bracteoles persistent, obovate to orbicular, entire to ciliolate-serrulate to almost lacerate, about 3 mm. long. Pistillate pedicels to 5 mm. long. Pistillate tepals 5, elliptic to ovate, 2-3 mm. long. Styles 3, 2-parted with the stigmatic tissue form-ing a continuous linear spiral band, ovary 3-celled, placentae variable even in the same ovary. Capsule subelliptic to orbicular, glabrous, 6-14 mm. long, with subequal rounded wings, seeds stalked, oblong and obtuse, truncate at the base.
Home