Herb or shrubs 1-1.5 m tall. Often monoecious, sometimes dioecious. Stems simple or branched distally; upper stems, branches and petioles densely puberulent. Leaves opposite, slightly unequal in size; stipules narrowly lanceolate, 8-12 mm, free; petiole 3-8 cm; leaf blade light green when dry, elliptic-ovate or ovate, 7-20 × 4-12 cm, herbaceous, secondary veins 3 or 4 pairs each side of midvein, tertiary veins many, transversely parallel, abaxial surface strigillose, adaxial surface often densely pubescent, base cordate or rounded, margin serrate, apex acuminate. Glomerules many flowered, 4-5 mm in diam., on axillary, irregularly spreading, much rebranched specialized flowering shoots, bisexual shoots lax, to 8 cm; female shoots in distal axils, congested, to 13 cm. Male flowers 4-merous, sessile; perianth lobes elliptic, ca. 1.2 mm, densely puberulent, connate at base; rudimentary ovule ellipsoid, ca. 0.5 mm. Fruiting perianth tube rhomboid-obovoid, compressed, 1-1.2 mm, strigillose on shoulder, base cuneate, apex long necked, 4-toothed. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep-Oct.
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