herbaceous; stems slender, sparingly to copiously branched, 6–10 in. long, from a stout perennial woody rootstock 4–6 in. long or longer, 1/4– 1/3 in. thick with brown rugose bark; branches erect, striate, sparingly to densely patently setulose like the stem, when young especially towards tips of twigs densely grey shaggy-pubescent; leaves firmly papery or almost coriaceous, numerous, subsessile, ovate or cordate-ovate, acute, margin coarsely sharply serrate, 1 1/2–2 in. long, 2/3– 3/4 in. wide, sparingly setulose on the nerves above, more densely setulose and pubescent on the nerves beneath when mature, when young the leaves on both surfaces rather densely shaggy with bulbous-based hairs; petiole setulose, under 1 lin. long; stipules setulose, lanceolate, persistent, 1 1/2–2 lin. long; inflorescence 1-sexual, diœcious; male spikes axillary, solitary, peduncled; peduncles sparingly to densely grey shaggy-tomentose, 1 1/2–2 in. long; spikes cylindric, dense-flowered, slender, 1 1/2–2 in. long; bracts lanceolate, with grey ciliate margins, 1/6 in. long, spreading, persistent; buds shaggy-setulose; female spikes terminal, solitary, 1/2 in. (ultimately 3/4–1 in.) long, compact; bracts 1-flowered, sessile, leafy, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 1/2– 2/3 in. long, nearly as wide, margin strongly toothed, teeth ovate-lanceolate, acute, rather densely shaggy with bulbous-based hairs externally, but eglandular or with only a few glands intermixed; sepals 3, ovate, acute, setulose; ovary distinctly 3-lobed, setulose but not glandular in the upper half; styles 3, united in their lower third, slightly or not at all laciniate above; seeds subglobose. Prain in Kew Bulletin, 1913, 23. null
