Herbs, perennial, to 0.3 m, monoecious, with woody subterranean caudex to 13.5 cm diam., stem and root scars crescent-shaped. Stems erect, green, sparsely branched, herbaceous, somewhat succulent, glabrous; short shoots absent; latex watery, cloudy-whitish. Leaves ± evenly distributed on long shoots; stipules persistent, 2–3 mm, deeply divided into linear-lanceolate segments; petiole 6–10 cm, not stipitate-glandular; blade cordate in outline, 6–11 × 3.5–6 cm, deeply 5–7-lobed nearly to base, segments deeply lobed, base cordate, margins coarsely dentate, apex acuminate, membranous, surfaces glabrous; venation palmate. Inflorescences bisexual, terminal and subterminal, cymes; peduncle 7.5–11 cm; bracts 3–10 mm, margins entire, glabrous. Pedicels 9–13 mm. Staminate flowers: sepals connate 1/2 length, ovate, 2–2.5 × 1–1.2 mm, margins usually entire, rarely 1–2-lobed, apex acute, surfaces glabrous; corolla deep red, rotate-campanulate, petals distinct, 7–10 × 2–3 mm, surfaces glabrous; stamens 8 in 2 whorls (5 + 3); filaments of each whorl appearing connate 1/2 length at anthesis, distinct at maturity, both whorls 2.5–3 mm. Pistillate flowers resembling staminate, but sepals distinct, lanceolate, 2.5–3.5 × 0.8–1 mm; corolla rotate, petals 7–9 × 2.5–2.8 mm; carpels 3; styles connate to 3/4 length, 0.5–1.5 mm. Capsules spheric, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 cm, explosively dehiscent. Seeds brown with darker markings, ellipsoidal, 9–13 × 5–7 mm; caruncle prominent. 2n = 22.
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