A shrub; branches terete, nearly glabrous; young branchlets finely puberulous. Leaves ovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic, shortly and very obtusely acuminate, rounded or subcordate at the base, 2 1/2–4 in. long, 1 1/4–1 3/4 in. broad, entire, chartaceous, finely verrucose on the upper surface, glabrous below; midrib slightly raised above, prominent below, gradually tapered to the apex of the blade; lateral nerves 6–7 on each side of the midrib, diverging from it at an angle of 45°, arcuate, looped some distance from the margin, slightly prominent on both surfaces; veins fairly close and prominent below; petiole 1/2– 3/4 in. long, rather slender, glabrous; stipules caducous, linear-lanceolate, acutely acuminate, 5 lin. long, glabrous, minutely ciliate. Receptacles in axillary pairs, sessile, globose, 4 lin. in diam., glabrous. Basal bracts 2, connate at the base, ovate, obtuse, soon splitting into two unequal parts, 2 lin. long, coriaceous, minutely puberulous outside. Ostiole slightly protruded, 2-lipped; bracts not visible from the outside, all descending into the receptacle, the two nearest the orifice oblong, obtuse, longer and thicker than the others. Male flowers subsessile; perianth-segments 3–4, oblong-elliptic, membranous, glabrous; stamen solitary. Female flowers subsessile; perianth-segments as in the male. Achene ellipsoid, glabrous; style about as long as the achene, slender, with a rather wide flattened stigma.
