Rhizomatous suffrutex, up to 0.3 m tall, vegetative scales present on rhizome and lower parts of aerial stems; stems 5 to 50, arising from rhizome, erect or suberect, virgate, branched in upper half, green, glabrous, alate due to decurrent bases of leaves and bracts. Leaves more or less spreading, lanceolate to ovate, (3.0-)11.0-21.0(-30.0) x 3.0-14.0mm, glabrous, apex acute or pungent, midrib prominent on both surfaces, secondary veins faintly reticulate, margins entire. Flowers usually solitary in bract axils, sometimes with 2-to 3-flowered cymes, arranged in 6-to 13-flowered determinate racemose inflorescences, terminating in 3-to 4-flowered cymes; pedicels 0-3.0(-5.0) mm long. Bracts lanceolate to ovate, 6.4-16.2(-23.0) x 1.6-5.7(-9) mm, usually acuminate, margins entire, fused to full length of pedicel; bracteoles leaf-like, 4.0-9.7(-15.6) x 0.8-2.3(-3.2) mm. Perianth campanulate, 3.0-5.0 mm long, elongate receptacle often present, ‘glands’ often visible on outside; corolla lobes narrowly triangular, 1.0-1.7 x 0.4-0.6(-0.9) mm, apex slightly cucullate, with dense apical beard. Stamens inserted at base of corolla lobes; filaments 0.3-0.6 mm long; anthers 0.4-0.9 mm long, attached to perianth with post-staminal hairs. Style 0.7-1.4 mm long, stigma ± opposite anthers. Placental column straight; ovules 3. Fruit elliptic, shortly stipitate (stipe ±0.5 mm long), 5.0-7.5 mm long including persistent perianth (3.0-5.0 mm long excluding perianth), 2.5-3.5 mm wide, 10-ribbed or occasionally 5-ribbed, smooth or with faint reticulate venation.
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