Small erect or somewhat scandent shrub 0.9–1.8 m. tall, with much-branched glabrous ridged stems.. Leaf-blades elliptic, 5.5–15 cm. long, 1.7–4.1 cm. wide, thin, discolorous, distinctly abruptly acuminate at the apex, cuneate at the base, glabrous, the margins somewhat wavy; petiole 0.4–1.5 cm. long; stipules semicircular, ± 1.5–2 mm. long, entire or with obscure fimbriae.. Flowers in branched panicles, the ultimate elements small 3–5-flowered capitula; peduncles 1.5–3 cm. long, glabrous save for slightly puberulous bract areas; secondary peduncles 0.2–2 cm. long; pedicels absent.. Calyx-tube oblong-ovoid to transversely oblong, 0.5–1 mm. tall, 1.2 mm. wide; limb-tube very short, 0.3–0.4 mm. long; lobes broadly triangular, 0.4–0.5 mm. long.. Corolla white, tinged purple or white and lobes margined and tipped with purple, the venation also sometimes reddish; tube (0.5–)1.2 cm. long; lobes oblong-lanceolate, 3.2–4 mm. long, 1.3–1.5 mm. wide, not winged or only faintly so along the margins, with incurved thickened tips.. Anthers exserted in short-styled flowers, the bases 0.5–1.2 mm. above the throat.. Style 3.5–7 mm. long in short-styled flowers, the stigma-lobes 1.5–2.2 mm. long.. No long-styled flowers have been seen but presumably they occur.. Fruits purple or deep wine-red, ± didymous, 4–5 mm. tall, 5 mm. wide, 4 mm. thick; pyrenes pale, semiglobose, 4 mm. long, 3.5 mm. wide, 2 mm. thick, not strongly keeled.
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