Herbs, perennial, erect to somewhat climbing, with woody rootstock; stems 0.5 m or more, clustered, quadrangular, angles ± retrorsely aculeolate. Leaves in whorls of up to 6-8(-10), narrowly linear, 20-50 × 0.5-1 mm, base acute, margins revolute and antrorsely aculeolate, otherwise glabrous and smooth, single vein forming a thick midrib ca. 1/2 of leaf breadth, apex acute, with hyaline point. Inflorescence thyrsoid, with lax, few-flowered axillary and terminal cymes; bracts filiform; pedicels ca. 5 mm. Ovary ca. 0.5 mm, glabrous. Corolla dark red (perhaps sometimes ?white), rotate, 3-4 mm in diam., glabrous; lobes triangular, 3-veined, abruptly caudate with acumen ca. 1 mm. Mericarp berry black, 3-4 mm in diam. Fl. summer-early autumn, fr. late autumn-early winter.
Home