Shrub usually 1-3 m. high, with gray-tomentulose branchlets strongly but obtusely angled below the decurrent leaf-bases, the bark on older branchlets reddish-brown,, exfoliating in long strips; leaves oblanceolate or the youngest obovate (on vigorous shoots becoming elliptic to ovate, larger than noted here, and with acute or attenuate tips), the upper surface appressed-pilose with hairs up to about 0.5 mm. long, or distally puberulent with much shorter hairs, the lower surface densely floccose-tomentose between the veins and in addition appressed-pilose on the veins with hairs up to 0.7 mm. long, and with similar hairs amid the tomentum; blades mostly 1 cm. or less wide (up to 3 cm.), 2-3 (-6) cm. long, rounded to acute at tip, the basal half entire, cuneate, attenuate to a margined petiole 1-3 mm. long, the margin dentate distally with 4-6 (-8) teeth on each edge, each tooth terminat-ing one of the primary veins of the blade, and tipped by a blunt mucro; veins prominent on both surfaces, strongly impressed above, the primary ones parallel to the sides of the cuneate leaf-base; flowers creamy white, in relatively large paniculi-form oblong to pyramidal leafless clusters terminating leafy twigs, the inflorescence mostly 5-15 cm. long, bracteate, often with its lower branches distant and elongate; petals 2-3 mm. long, with an ovate to orbicular entire blade and a short broad claw, pilose with white straight hairs on the outer surface at least near base on midvein; stamens usually 20 (1 opposite each petal and 3 opposite each sepal), the filaments subulate, 1.5-2 mm. long, 0.2-0.3 mm. wide at base, the anthers nearly globose in dried material, about 0.3 mm. long; receptacle shallowly concave, tomentose within but the margin thickened into a fleshy glabrous ring with the stamens inserted on its outer edge, the ring strongly 5-lobed in age; styles with capitate stigmas, in flower ascending and parallel, about 1 mm. long, pilose near base; ovaries flattened, heavily white-pilose with hairs 0.5-0.7 mm. long, especially on the sutures, the sides somewhat hairy or glabrous, but beset with numerous short-stipitate yellowish capitate glands; hypanthium saucer-shaped or hemispheric, 1-to 3-bracteate at base, at maturity about 3 mm. across, the persistent entire triangular sepals 1.5-2 mm. wide at base, 2-3 mm. long; fruit with membranous wall, laterally (i. e., radially) compressed, biconvex, stipitate, the body about 2 mm. long and 1 mm. deep, the inner angle nearly straight from base of stipe to tip of the persistent style, the outer one abruptly outcurved at base of 'style, then gradually attenuate into the stipe; total length, including stipe and style, about 3.5-5 mm.
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