An erect or spreading woody herb or shrub up to 2 m. tall.. Young shoots and petioles evenly or sparingly adpressed pubescent.. Petioles (0.5–)1–4(–5.5) cm. long, with 2 small glandular ovoid stipels at the apex; leaf-blade lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 3–15 cm. long, 1–5 cm. wide, sharply acutely acuminate at the apex, rounded or broadly cuneate at the base, glandular crenate-serrate, membranous, lateral nerves 4–7 pairs, the 2 lowest often close together, the upper remote, ascending and inwardly-arching, impressed above, minutely tuberculate above and beneath, subglabrous or sparingly pubescent only along the midrib above and along the midrib and main veins beneath, purplish when young, later becoming medium yellowish green above and paler beneath.. Stipules gland-like, resembling the stipels, 0.5 mm. long.. Inflorescences bisexual, (3–)6–10 cm. long, long-pedunculate, usually ♂ with one ♀ flower at the top, rarely more; axis sparingly adpressed pubescent; bracts lanceolate, 2 mm. long, acute, membranous, subglabrous; clusters few-flowered; bracteoles minute, 1–2-flowered.. Male flowers: pedicels articulate, capillary, 1.5–2 mm. long, glabrous; buds depressed-globose, minutely apiculate; calyx-lobes 3, ovate, 1.5 mm. long, subacute, glabrous, greenish purple; stamens 20–30, multiseriate, filaments 0.5 mm. long, purple, anthers minute, cream, pinkish tinged; disc-glands 0.. Female flowers: pedicels 1.5–2 mm. long; calyx-lobes 3, ovate-lanceolate, 4 mm. long, acute, glabrous, green; disc-glands 3, linear-ligulate, occasionally bifid, 1.5 mm. long; ovary trilobate, 2 mm. diameter, microscopically papillose, glabrous, dark purple; styles 1 mm. long, glabrous, purple.. Fruit roundly trilobate, 3 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, ± smooth, glabrous, purple or green.. Seeds ovoid-conoidal, 2.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, foveolate-reticulate, purplish at first, grey when mature.
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