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Plants with several slender epicortical roots from base; young stem and inflorescence brown, furfuraceous; internodes terete, to 9 cm long. Leaves irregularly paired; petiole 0.2-0.5 cm long; blade extremely variable, lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate, to 8 x 3.5 cm, apex rounded to deeply emarginate, usually minutely apiculate, base obtuse to cuneate; venation ranging from pinnate with a distinct midvein reaching into apex to 3-veined in more emarginate leaves. Dioecious, male plants apparently infrequent. Inflorescence determinate, 0.5-3 cm long, apical flower followed by one or more pairs of bracteolate or ebracteolate, sessile monads, below which sometimes one or more pairs of sessile triads; peduncle 0.1 cm, often elongating in fruit; secondary inflorescences frequent in a superposed position; vigorous plants also with whip-like terminal, compound inflorescence to 15 (-20) cm long, where lateral inflorescences subtended by caducous, fleshy, awl-shaped scale leaves of 0.2-0.3 cm long. Male and female flowers similar, 3-or 4-merous, < 0.2 cm long; petals and stamens slightly dimorphic, organs of opposite sex small, anthers sessile, 2-loculate; style straight, stigma poorly differentiated. Fruit ellipsoid or ovoid, 0.5 x 0.3 cm, light orange to red with dark tip.
