Herb up to 50(–75) cm. tall, rhizomatous or sometimes tuberous; stems erect or ascending, up to 100(–300) cm. long, the base sometimes forming a tuber up to 10 cm. across, branched (at least with arrested branchlets with minute leaves) or unbranched, 2–10 mm. thick when dry, sparsely minutely puberulous, the hairs mostly in ± distinct longitudinal lines.. Leaves in spirals, often only at the top of the stem; lamina papyraceous when dry, oblong to subobovate to lanceolate or elliptic, (1–)2–14(–21) × (0.3–)1–4(–6.5) cm., apex acute to obtuse, base attenuate to cuneate, margin rather regularly, finely to coarsely crenate-dentate or sometimes repand; upper surface minutely (on the midrib rather densely) puberulous, lower surface puberulous on the veins or glabrous; lateral veins (5–)8–15 pairs; petiole (0.2–)1–2(–3) cm. long, 1–1.5 mm. thick; stipules triangular to ovate, up to 1 mm. long, persistent.. Inflorescences often several together; peduncle (0.5–)1–3 cm. long, 0.5–1 mm. thick.. Receptacle broadly turbinate to discoid, triangular to subquadrangular or sometimes ± irregularly substellate or oval, 0.5–1 (–2) cm. in diameter, flowering face in outline similar to the receptacle, margin up to 1 mm. wide; appendages in 2 rows, the inner (marginal) row semi-circular, up to 1 (–2) mm. long, forming a crenate rim, the outer (submarginal) row (2–)3–7, usually 3 or 3–4 of them band-shaped to triangular and 4–8 mm. long, the shorter ones (1–4) triangular to ovate, up to 3 mm. long.. Staminate flowers ± crowded; perianth-lobes 3; stamens (2–)3.. Pistillate flowers numerous; perianth shortly tubular; stigma 1 (sometimes a rudimentary second one).. Endocarp-body tetrahedral, 1–±1.5 mm. in diameter, tuberculate.. Fig. 14.
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