Woody, robust subshrub to 1.2 m tall; stems erect, terete to ridged but not prominently 4-angled, greenish to brown, densely covered with fine, spreading hairs c. 0.2 mm long. Leaves opposite on vegetative growth, becoming alternate on flowering shoots; petiole tapering from the lamina base, (7–) 10–17 mm long; lamina elliptic to ovate or oblong-ovate (rarely narrowly so), (3.5–) 4–8.2 cm long, (1.7–) 2.5–4.2 cm wide, base obtuse to somewhat cordate, margin serrate or sparingly biserrate (17–41-toothed, the teeth (2–) 3–5 mm long), surface glabrous or with an open to sparse indumentum of short hairs. Inflorescence a cluster of 3–7-flowered dichasia in the axils of reduced leaves, resulting in a dense spike-like conflorescence. Lateral axillary conflorescences are sometimes also borne in the axils of these reduced leaves. Leaves of flowering shoots much-reduced, serrate, decreasing in size from 22–28 mm long at the base of the flowering shoot to c. 10 mm long (or less in lateral conflorescences). Inflorescence bracts membranous, brownish, linear–lanceolate, toothed, 1.1–1.7 mm long, persistent. Flowers 4-merous; pedicel 0.5–1 mm long. Sepals 4, deltoid, 1.1–1.4 mm long, 0.5–0.9 mm wide, ± entire, sparingly hairy. Petals 4, greenish, hooded and keeled, 3.5–4 mm long, bearing hairs along the keel. Stamens 8; filaments 1.1–1.4 mm long; anthers yellowish, 2.5–2.9 mm long. Styles 4, to 1 mm long, stigmas fimbriate, purplish. Hypanthium cup-shaped, distinctly 4-angled opposite petals, c. 1 mm long, 1 mm wide, clothed with spreading hairs; ovary 4-locular, ovules 1 per loculus. Fruit shortly-hairy, obpyramidal to pyriform, 2.2–2.8 mm long, 1.7–2.4 mm wide, 4–ribbed opposite petals, slightly concave opposite sepals, with irregular transverse to oblique calluses on the surface. Sepals persistent, erect, deltoid, 1.3–1.5 mm long, 0.8–1.4 mm wide. Seeds 1 or more.
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