Perennial herb with creeping rhizomes, erect stems fleshy, up to 50 cm. high or sometimes more, up to ± 0.7 cm. in diameter at base, usually little branched, pilose to hispid.. Leaves restricted to the upper half of the stem; stipules of reduced leaf similar in size and shape to those of the extant leaf, lanceolate, 8–10 mm. long, with a prominent nerve, which especially in the stipules of the extant leaves, can be discerned to consist of 2 fused nerves, glabrous, green, with translucent margin; petiole usually very short, never more than 0.5 cm. long; lamina obliquely ovate to elliptic, persistently fresh green to yellowish-green, 5–15 cm. long, proximal half of lamina 0.5–2.5 cm. wide, distal half of lamina 1–3.5 cm. wide, base acuminate on both sides of midnerve, margin serrate in the entire length, with (16–)25–40 teeth on distal half tooth, each terminated by a small tuft of hairs and/or a hydatodal gland, apex long acuminate; larger lateral nerves on the proximal side 5–10, on the distal side 5–8, basal lateral nerve on distal side reaching through half the length of lamina or less; upper surface with a few scattered hairs, linear cystoliths prominent, especially along the nerves, lower surface with stiff hairs on the nerves.. Inflorescences unisexual, often ♂ and ♀ ones on the same shoot, sessile or on peduncles up to 3 mm. long, in the axils of the extant leaves, rarely in the axils of the stipules of the reduced leaf.. Male inflorescences densely cymose clusters, 0.5–0.8 cm. in diameter; bracts largely ovate, 1–2.5 mm. long, ciliate, bracteoles smaller, lanceolate; ♀ inflorescences with numerous minute flowers placed densely together on the flattened axis, often 4-lobed so as to appear cross-shaped, 10–15 mm. in diameter, bracts ovate to triangular, ± 1.5 mm. long, pilose to pubescent, bracteoles lanceolate, ± 1 mm. long.. Male flowers on pedicels 2–3 mm. long; perianth ±1.5 mm. in diameter, 5-merous; tepals pilose, with a short subapical appendage, up to 0.8 mm. long.. Female flowers shortly pedicellate, pedicel lengthening during and/or after anthesis; perianth very reduced, consisting of 3–4 tiny ciliate lobes at the base of the ovary; ovary ± 0.5 mm. long, shortly stipitate, ovoid; stigma penicillate; staminodal scales ± half as long as achene.. Achene on a fruiting pedicel ± 1 mm. long, with 4–6 fine longitudinal lines or ridges, 0.5–0.7 mm. long, pale brown.. Fig. 10/A, p. 40.
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Leaves restricted to the upper half of the stem, shortly petiolate or sessile, lamina asymmetrical, up to 24 x 8 cm., elliptic to ovate; apex long acuminate; base asymmetrical, cuneate on both sides, but the distal half arising about 5 mm. higher up the midnerve than the proximal half; margin finely serrate, with 20–35 teeth on each half of lamina (each tooth terminated by a small tuft of hairs); upper surface of lamina fresh green, with a few stiff hairs, lower surface pale green and with numerous hairs on the nerves, lateral nerves 4–8 on either side.
Male inflorescences consisting of clusters of flowers up to 8 mm. in diam., surrounded by broadly ovate, ciliate, bracts up to 3 x 3 mm.; flowers on pedicels up to 2 mm. long; perianth up to c. 2 mm. in diam., 5-merous, each tepal with a long subapical appendage; stamens the same number as the tepals.
Female inflorescences quadrangular or 4-lobed, up to 2.5 cm. in diam., surrounded by triangular bracts up to 1.5 x 1.5 mm.; flowers numerous, pedicellate, perianth extremely reduced consisting of c. 4 segments, staminodes 3 inflexed, ovary c. 0.5 mm. long, with fine longitudinal ridges.
Inflorescences unisexual, often male and female on the same shoot, subsessile or sessile in leaf axils.
A perennial herb with an erect fleshy stem, to 2 ft. high, from a creeping rooting rhizome
Perennial herbs up to c. 60 cm. tall from creeping rhizomes.
Stems erect, fleshy, little-branched, pubescent or hispid.
Achene up to 3 mm. long, with longitudinal ridges.
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