a shrub about 4 ft. high; branches ascending; young branchlets terete, densely villous, almost hidden by the closely overlapping leaves; leaves subequal, those surrounding the inflorescence becoming bract-like and broadening at the base, 1–1 3/4 in. long, 1 1/2–3 lin. broad, linear-oblong or slightly linear-oblanceolate, acute or subacute at the apex, coriaceous, longitudinally wrinkled or striate, densely ciliate, otherwise thinly pubescent; male inflorescence solitary and terminal, quite hidden by the surrounding bract-like leaves, about 4 lin. in diam., subglobose; floral bracts 1 1/2 lin. long, oblong, rounded at the apex, glabrous, ciliate; perianth-tube 3/4 lin. long, subcompressed, glabrous; segments 1 lin. long, spathulate-linear, glabrous; limb 1/2 lin. long, linear, obtuse or subobtuse; anthers 1/3 lin. long, linear; style 1 1/2 lin. long, filiform, glabrous; stigma 1/3 lin. long, clavate; hypogynous scales 1/2 lin. long, filiform; female inflorescence nearly 3/4 in. long, 5 lin. in diam., oblong-ellipsoid; bracts 1 1/2 lin. long, 4 lin. broad, transversely linear-oblong, rounded above, glabrous; perianth-segments 2 lin. long, linear, glabrous; limb 1/4 lin. long, ovate, subobtuse, concave; staminodes 1/6 lin. long, linear; style 1 1/4 lin. long, linear; stigma truncate, terminal; ovary 1/2 lin. long, oblong, much compressed. null