A monoecious, pubescent and setose, urticating, erect or suberect shrub or woody herb up to ± 1 m., but more usually 40–60 cm. high.. Petiole (0.2–)0.5–2(–4) cm. long; blade ovate-lanceolate, 2–5(–6) cm. long, 0.7–2.5(–3) cm. wide, acute, rounded, truncate or sometimes shallowly cordate, serrate except at the base, firmly membranous to thinly chartaceous, 3–5-nerved from the base, lateral nerves 3–6 pairs, not prominent above, scarcely so beneath, sparingly setose to subglabrous above, and sparingly setose along the midrib and main nerves beneath, sometimes also sparingly to evenly pubescent beneath.. Stipules lanceolate, 2–4 mm. long, acute, subentire, sparingly beset with weak bristles, ascending or patent.. Inflorescences leaf-opposed, 2–10(–13) cm. long, the peduncles 0–7(–10) cm. long, distally ♂ with 1–2 ♀ flowers below, occasionally some inflorescences all ♂; axis pubescent and setose; ♂ bracts narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 2 mm. long, otherwise resembling the stipules; bracteoles linear, 1 mm. long; female bracts and bracteoles obovate, 2.5–5 mm. long, obtuse, irregularly serrate-denticulate, subglabrous, ciliate.. Male flowers: pedicels 2 mm. long, sparingly pubescent; buds compressed-ellipsoid, subglabrous; calyx-lobes 3(–4), elliptic-ovate to ovate, 2 mm. long, 1.3–1.5 mm. wide, acute or subacute and subcucullate, papillose-puberulous along the midvein without, otherwise glabrous, yellow veined with green; stamens 3(–4), 1 mm. long, anthers 0.5 mm. across; pistillode trifid, the segments ± dilated at the apex.. Female flowers: pedicels 1–2 mm. long, stouter than those of the ♂ flowers, puberulous; calyx-lobes 6, in 2 series of 3, those of the outer whorl broadly ovate-suborbicular in outline, 3 mm. long and wide, accrescent to 1.2–1.5 cm. long and wide, with 17 subulate lobules, 8 on each side, the lobules much shorter than the width of the rhachis, the calyx-lobes of the inner whorl ovate-lanceolate, 2.5 mm. long, 2 mm. wide, accrescent to 1.2–1.5 cm. long, and 5–8 mm. wide, with 13 lobules, 6 on each side, the lobules somewhat shorter than the width of the rhachis, rhachis pubescent without, glabrous within, lobules hirsute within and without, later becoming setose, the rhachis creamy yellowish, the lobules greenish; ovary strongly trilobate, the keels opposite the inner calycine whorl, ± 2 mm. diameter, densely setose on the keels, otherwise subglabrous; styles 3, 2.5 mm. long, united for ± half their length, the free parts suberect and slightly recurved at the apex, the stigmatic surfaces rugulose.. Fruits trilobate, 6–7 mm. long, 1.2 cm. diameter, sparingly setose on the keels, otherwise ± glabrous.. Seeds 5 mm. diameter, dull greyish brown, flecked and mottled with dark reddish brown, and here and there with paler grey circular patches, each with a densely papillose margin.
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