Dioecious completely glabrous subshrub up to 90 cm. tall.. Stems reddish brown.. Orthotropic shoots terete. Plagiotropic shoots 2–6 cm. long, subterete, smooth.. Cataphylls triangular-lanceolate, 0.5 mm. long, dark brown. Cataphyllary stipules obliquely triangular, 0.75 mm. long, minutely denticulate, dark brown.. Leaves of the plagiotropic shoots distichous; petioles 0.5–1 mm. long; blades obovate, elliptic-obovate or obovate-oblong, 0.5–1.3 cm. long, 0.3–0.75 cm. wide, rounded at the apex, rounded-cuneate at the base, membranaceous, lateral nerves 4–5 pairs, not distinct above, distinct but scarcely prominent beneath.. Stipules narrowly triangular-lanceolate, 1.5 mm. long, entire.. Male flowers not known.. Female flowers: pedicels 2 mm. long; sepals 5, elliptic-suborbicular, 2 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, obtuse or rounded, greenish with hyaline margins; disc thick, 5-lobed, minutely foveolate; ovary hexalobate, 0.75 mm. diameter, smooth; styles 0.75 mm. long, ± free, spreading, bifid, stigmas filiform.. Fruit 2.3 mm. long, 3 mm. diameter, smooth.. Seeds triquetrous, 1.75 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, with 15 shallow longitudinal ridges on the dorsal facet and 10 concentric arcs on each ventral facet, and with innumerable transverse striae between the ridges and arcs, slightly shiny, pale buff.
Home