a branching shrub up to 4 ft. in height, or perhaps sometimes forming clumps of simple subherbaceous stems? branches pubescent or villous on the younger parts; leaves alternate, herbaceous; petioles 1/2–2 3/4 in. long; blades 1–3 3/4 in. long, 2/3–2 in. broad, ovate, acuminate, rounded or broadly cuneate at the base, toothed at the margin; teeth 2/3–1 lin. long, 1 1/2–3 lin. broad, triangular, acute or subacute; more or less pubescent or somewhat pilose with soft hairs on both surfaces, but usually more densely so beneath; stipules 2–4 1/2 lin. long, broadly ovate at the base, subulate-acuminate, ciliate, and pubescent on the midrib beneath, membranous, brown, persistent; flowers in small axillary clusters, sessile or the males very shortly pedicellate, unisexual, many male and one or a few female flowers in the same cluster, greenish-white, mingled with minute membranous brown bracts; male flowers somewhat turbinate-subglobose and abruptly and shortly pointed in bud, 3–4-lobed to rather more than half-way down, pubescent or subpilose outside; lobes 2/3 lin. long, ovate, abruptly and shortly subulate-pointed, deeply concave; stamens 3–4, longer than the perianth; rudimentary ovary obovoid, semi-transparent or watery; female flowers somewhat flask-shaped, tubular, minutely 2–3-toothed at the apex, with numerous ribs on the inflated part when in fruit, pubescent outside; ovary compressed ovoid; style much exserted, 2 lin. long, filiform, densely papillose-pubescent; achene enclosed in the enlarged perianth, 1 lin. long, compressed ovoid, acute, smooth and shining, whitish or pale yellowish-white. null
