An erect or ascending hispid and pubescent somewhat branched deep-rooted paludicolous annual herb (20–)75–90(–150) cm. tall.. Hairs sometimes swollen but not glandular at the apex.. Root pithy.. Stem and branches hollow.. Petioles 0.5–1.2(–2.5) cm. long; leaf-blades narrowly elliptic-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, (2.5–)4–10(–15) cm. long, 0.2–2.5 cm. wide, acute or subacute, cuneate or narrowly rounded-cuneate, sharply serrate, firmly membranaceous to thinly chartaceous, 3–5-nerved from the base, lateral nerves (5–)7–12 pairs, sparingly pubescent along the margins and along the midrib and main nerves above and beneath, otherwise ± glabrous.. Stipules linear-lanceolate, 2–4(–5) mm. long, acute, ± entire, glabrous or sparingly pubescent, persistent.. Inflorescences 4.5–9(–15) cm. long, the peduncle 1.5–5.5(–7) cm. long; axis evenly pubescent; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 1–2 mm. long, acute, entire, ciliate, sparingly pubescent.. Male flowers: pedicels 1 mm. long; calyx-lobes ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm. long, subequal, ciliate, sparingly pubescent without, glabrous within; petals markedly unequal, 3 spathulate, 1.5–2 mm. long, 2 narrowly elliptic, 1–1.5 mm. long, white or yellowish white; staminal column 2 mm. high, free portions of filaments ± 1 mm. long, white, anthers 0.5 mm. long, yellow; pistillode cylindric, ± 1 mm. high, excavated and slightly 3-lobed at the apex.. Female flowers 1–2 per inflorescence; pedicels stouter than in the ♂ flowers, 0.5–1 mm. long; sepals (5–)6–7(–10), ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, markedly unequal, the 2–4(–5) outer 1–1.5 mm. long, the 3–4(–5) inner 2–3 mm. long, slightly accrescent in fruit, acute, ciliate, pubescent without, glabrous within, somewhat hispid at the base, green at the apex, otherwise yellowish; petals 5(–6), elliptic, subunguiculate, subequal, ± 1.5 mm. long, glabrous, white, soon caducous; ovary subglobose, 1 mm. diameter, hispid and densely beset with fusiform processes varying in size; styles united at the base, 1.5 mm. long, white.. Fruit roundly trilobate, 4–5(–6) mm. long, 5–7(–8) mm. diameter, densely echinate.. Seeds ovoid-oblong, (2.5–)3(–4) mm. long, 2(–3) mm. wide, ± smooth (appearing very finely foveolate under a hand-lens), shiny, uniformly brownish at first later becoming blackish.
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