Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous; stems erect, to 1 m tall, glabrous, angled, retrorsely aculeolate. Leaves in whorls of 4, sessile or subsessile; blade drying papery, linear to lanceolate-oblong, 5-12 × 0.5-1.4 cm, glabrous, abaxially prickly on midrib and often on veins, base acute to cuneate, margins revolute and antrorsely aculeolate, apex acute to acuminate; lateral veins pinnate, 6-10 pairs. Inflorescences thyrsoid, with terminal and axillary, several-to many-flowered cymes, nearly as long as or shorter than subtending leaves; axes aculeolate; bracts linear, 2-5 mm; pedicels 2-6 mm. Ovary 1-1.2 mm in diam. Corolla pale yellow, rotate, fused basal part ca. 0.6 mm; lobes ovate, ca. 2 mm, abruptly contracted with arista ca. 0.5 mm. Mericarp berry black, 2.5-5 mm. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep.
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