Plants ca. 60 cm tall, bronze colored at least when fresh; intercalary cataphylls to 2.5 cm above foliar node, these sometimes fertile, or 2 pairs to 1 and 6 cm high; stem segments between foliar nodes to 10 cm, terete; basal cataphylls 1-4 pairs as high as 2 cm; all cataphylls caducous or eroding early, leaving inconspicuous scars. Leaf blade thin, ovate, to 10 x 3 cm, apex tapered but ultimately obtuse, base contracted to short, cuneate petiole; venation palmate, with 3 or 5 major veins Monoecious. Male flowers few, in lower positions of some fertile internodes only. Inflorescence slender,1.5-2 cm long; peduncle short, simple or unequally double, fertile internodes mostly 4; flowers 3-5 per fertile bract, 2-seriate. Fruit (immature) with closed perianth segments.