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Leaves spirally arranged, those on the lower part of the stem usually entire to tripartite, scale leaves; lamina oblong to elliptic or subobovate, sometimes subcircular, (0.5)2–15 x (0.3)1–5 cm., papyraceous when dry, apex obtuse to acute or subacuminate to rounded, base cuneate to attenuate or obtuse, margin ± irregularly coarsely dentate-crenate to denticulate; superior surface smooth, puberulous to strigillose, the inferior surface puberulous; lateral veins 4–12(14) pairs; petiole 3–20 mm. long, 1–2 mm. thick; stipules narrowly triangular to subulate, up to 1.5(4) mm. long, persistent.
Inflorescences solitary; peduncle 0.2–1(1.6) cm. or 4–9 cm. long; receptacle broadly turbinate, and elliptic to subnaviculate in outline, 1–2.3 x 0.5–1(1.2) cm.; flowering face narrowly elliptic, margin very narrow or lacking; appendages in 2 rows, the inner (marginal) row of semi-circular appendages, up to 0.5(1) mm. long, forming a crenate rim, the outer (submarginal) row of 2 terminal appendages, band-shaped to filiform, 15–100(130) mm. long.
Herb, tuberous; tuber discoid to subglobose up to 4.5 cm. in diam.; stems annual, erect, ascending or creeping and rooting at the nodes, up to 50(90) cm. long, 1–7(10) mm. thick, puberulous, usually branched, the branches often arrested (especially on creeping stems), the arrested branches transformed into 1 cm. wide, subglobose tubers.
Endocarp body tetrahedral, c. 1.5 mm. in diam., tuberculate.
Pistillate flowers numerous; perianth tubular, stigmas 2.
Staminate flowers crowded, perianth lobes 2, stamens 2.
