An erect or subassurgent, freely branching, terrestrial or epiphytic herb; stem 2-3 mm. thick toward the base when dry, up to 20-30 cm. tall, rooting from the lowermost nodes, moderately to densely velvety-hirtellous, internodes 3-5 cm. long below, reduced upward; leaves 2, 3, or 4 at a node, rather variable in size and shape, often on the same plant, elliptic, lance-elliptic, suborbicular or obovate, apex bluntly acuminate, base acute, 0.8-2.0 cm. wide X 1-5 cm. long, commonly 1-1.5 X 3-4 cm., very obscurely hirtellous on one or both sides, glabrescent, ciliolate toward the apex, distinctly palmately 3-nerved or the broader leaves 5-nerved, drying thin and translucent, glandular-dotted, somewhat pellucid-dotted; petiole up to 15 mm. long, mostly 5-10 mm., velvety-hirtellous; spikes axillary, 1-2 mm. thick X 2-6 cm. long, closely flowered; peduncle slender, hirtellous glabrescent; bracts round-peltate, rather conspicuously dark-glandular-dotted; fruit subglobose, about 0.5 mm. long, apex oblique, stigma subapical.
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