Herbs, perennial, with strongly thickened rootstock. Stems ascending to erect, 5–30 cm, uniformly and densely canescent or sericeous. Leaves opposite; stipules deciduous, sometimes appearing absent, distinct, brown, linear-subulate, thin, 0.3–0.8 mm, canescent; petiole 0.4–1.2 mm, moderately to densely canescent; blade ovate to lanceolate, 6–20 × 3–8 mm, base subsymmetric, rounded to cuneate, margins entire, strongly involute, apex long-acuminate, spinulose, abaxial surface canescent to densely sericeous, adaxial surface glabrous or sparsely canescent; 3-veined from base but only midvein conspicuous. Cyathia solitary at distal nodes; peduncle 1.3–3.2 mm. Involucre turbinate to urceolate, 2–2.6 × 1.7–2.5 mm, villous to lanate; glands 4, yellow-green to orange or red, slightly concave, oblong-elliptic, 0.2–0.4 × 0.6–1.5 mm; appendages white, flabellate, 1.1–2.1 × 0.2–0.6 mm, distal margin shallowly and irregularly toothed. Staminate flowers 20–25. Pistillate flowers: ovary strigose, pubescent to villous; styles 0.6–0.9 mm, 2-fid 1/2 length. Capsules subglobose to broadly ovoid, 2.8–3.7 mm diam., strigose, pubescent to villous; columella 2.3–3 mm. Seeds white, ovoid, 4-angled in cross section, 2.2–2.6 × 1.1–1.4 mm, smooth to finely reticulate. 2n = 28, 48, 56.
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