Perennial herb, somewhat woody at the base, much-branched and bushy, ± 1 m. tall, or scrambling over shrubs and then reaching a greater height.. Stems and branches terete, striate and glabrescent in the older parts, when younger subquadrate, sulcate-striate, and softly pilose especially about the nodes; nodes scarcely swollen.. Main stem and branch leaves broadly lanceolate to ovate or subcordate-ovate, gradually tapering from near the base to the acute or acuminate apex, 3.5–6.5 × 1.2–3.7 cm., leaves rapidly reducing above and finally small and linear-lanceolate in the partial inflorescences, all moderately to densely furnished with fine appressed hairs.. Inflorescence a large open compound panicle, of axillary opposite branches formed of simple or branched spikes each with a zigzag thinly pilose rhachis; peduncle and especially the branches of the partial inflorescences very slender, the latter capillary, thinly pilose with fine hairs; bracts ovate-lanceolate, ± 1 mm., hyaline with the greenish or brownish midrib excurrent in a very short mucro, furnished with fine soft shining white hairs; bracteoles similar, pilose chiefly along the midrib or margins.. Flowers sessile.. Tepals green, rather blunt, prominently 3-nerved with the nerves confluent exactly at the apex but not excurrent in a mucro, furnished with flexuose, multicellular, delicate smooth and shining whitish hairs; outer 2 tepals lanceolate-oblong, 3–3.5 mm., the nerves almost parallel and thus distant from the margins below and submarginal above, hyaline margins narrow; inner 2 broadly ovate with very wide hyaline margins on both sides (twice as wide as the nerved central portion at halfway up the tepal), pilose only along the dorsal surface of the midrib; middle tepal with one side broadly hyaline-margined and glabrous as with the inner 2, the other side resembling the outer 2.. Stamens ± 1.75–2 mm., very delicate; pseudostaminodes none.. Style long and slender, ± 1 mm.. Capsule ovoid, 2–2.25 mm.. Seeds subglobose or obscurely trigonous, ± 1.5 mm., dark brown or black, shining, feebly reticulate.. Fig. 21/7.
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