A weak-stemmed perennial herb, often woody below, variable in habit from lax and prostrate, supported by other plants or scrambling to 4 m. (or probably more). Stem and branches glabrous or thinly to rather densely furnished with brownish multicellular hairs. Leaves lanceolate-ovate to broadly or deltoid-ovate, acuminate, glabrous or with multicellular hairs below (especially along the nerves), or rarely also the superior surface; larger leaves 3.5–10 × 2.5–5 cm., shortly cuneate to truncate or subcordate at the base, attenuate along a slender petiole; superior and branch leaves smaller, often narrower and more attenuate at the base. Inflorescences white, axillary and terminal, densely or more rarely laxly thyrsoid, the upper usually more or less congested to become spiciform or lobed and subpaniculate; partial inflorescences condensed or with unequal branches, approximate or slightly separated occasionally more distant), up to c. 1.5 cm. long; inflorescence axis glabrous or with multicellular hairs, often concealed by the densely set flowers; peduncle up to 9 cm. long but generally shorter. Bracts and bracteoles 2–3 mm. long, broadly deltoid-ovate, membranous, glabrous or marginally ciliate, mucronate with the shortly excurrent midrib, which is furnished with multicellular hairs on its dorsal surface. Tepals elliptic-oblong, (3) 3.5–5 mm. long, obtuse or subacute, whitish-membranous with (at least in the dry state) a darker central vitta; midrib shortly excurrent, subtended on each side at the base by one or two pairs of lateral nerves which are evanescent at or a little above the centre of the tepal. Filaments with the free apices longer than the basal cup. Ovary with numerous ovules (usually c. 13–25); stigmas (2) 3 (4), more or less reflexed, slightly longer than the c. 1–1.5 mm. long style. Capsule ovoid, 2–4 mm. long, not exceeding the tepals. Seeds black, shiny, lenticular, c. 1 mm., sulcate-punctate with the marginal areolae longer, narrower and more concentric.
