Weak-stemmed perennial herb, scrambling over other vegetation or straggling, sometimes in thick masses, 0.3–1.2 m., considerably branched, rooting at the lower nodes; stem and branches striate, sometimes reddish at least below, subglabrous to rather densely pilose with fine appressed hairs.. Leaves elliptic to lanceolate, (2–)4–10 × (1–)1.3–4.2 cm., thinly to moderately appressed pilose, paler on the lower surface, acuminate to rather blunt at the apex, cuneate at the base with a distinctly demarcated ± 4–12 mm. petiole.. Inflorescence silvery–or yellowish-green to pale mauve, elongating in fruit, 2–26 × 1.2–1.4 cm., subsessile or on a short peduncle to ± 1 cm. long; axis lanuginose.. Bracts ovate, 2.5–4 mm., membranous-whitish, ± densely lanuginose, gradually narrowed above to the short arista formed by the excurrent nerve.. Bracteoles broadly cordate-ovate, 3 4 mm., lanuginose, more abruptly narrowed to the longer, sharp, sometimes recurved arista.. Flowers truncate and finally indurate at the base, attached to the inflorescence-axis by a broadly conical process.. Tepals narrowly oblong-lanceolate; 2 outer 4.5–7 mm., densely lanuginose except at the pale-stramineous or pinkish aristate tips, with a rather broad but incurved hyaline margin, 3–5-nerved with the midrib and 2 principal lateral veins frequently branched above; 2 inner slightly shorter and narrower, the hyaline margins as wide as the green 3-nerved central portion, ± pilose or lanate chiefly on the upper part of the central dorsal surface, not aristate; central tepal intermediate, usually lanate at least along one margin as well as above.. Perianth and bracteoles falling together in fruit.. Stamens 3–4 mm., (? always) red; pseudostaminodes ± 1.5 mm. long, with a short incurved denticulate lobule at the tip and a densely long-fimbriate dorsal scale.. Ovary turbinate, often reddish, ± 1.5 mm... Style slender, 2–3.25 mm., (? always) red.. Ripe capsule and seed not seen.
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