Herbs to 40 cm tall, with scattered hairs; stem short, up to 5 cm. Leafblade broad-ovate, base deeply cordate, apex acute, 9-16 by 6-9 cm, upper surface glabrous, lower surface hairy on the nerves; petiole hairy, 6-20 cm long. Inflorescence com pound, with (1 or) 2-4 densely flowered, racemelike branches; bracts ovate-lanceolate, green, 3-8 mm long, one-nerved, the nerve hairy, margin shallowly undulate; peduncle (sub)erect, 10-30 cm long, hairy. Flowers ± globose in bud, opening during anthesis and the male flowers soon falling off; perianth 5-6 mm diameter; pedicels c. 2 mm long; tepals delicate, free, broad-ovate, creamy white, 2-3 mm long, somewhat accrescent in fruit. Staminal ring fused with the hypanthium; outgrowths of the connectives broad, flatfish. Ovary undulately ribbed, as long as the perianth, c. 2.5 mm high, stigma 3-or 4-lobed, but in ageing flowers becoming entire, flat and round. Fruit c. 4 mm long, with 10 ribs, with faintiy undulating ridges or with ander-like emergences, not extending on the persisting perianth. Seeds up to 60, ellipsoid, c. 1 mm long, distincdy spiny ribbed.
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