Erect shrub 1(–1.5) m tall; stems much branched, ultimate branches 1–3 mm thick, orange-brown, densely stellate-scabrid. Leaves narrowly ovate, occasionally elliptic, 10–59(–93) mm long, 6–30(–35) mm wide, tip acute to ± rounded, base rounded (rarely truncate), margin singly or doubly finely to coarsely serrate, upper surface grey-green, shortly stellate-hairy, lower surface grey or white, densely shortly and softly stellate-hairy (rarely subscabrid); petiole 6–17 mm, terete, swollen at top, dark brown, stellate-scabrid; stipules falling early, linear, 2 mm long, papery, brown, stellate-hairy. Inflorescences subopposite the leaf, cymes (1–)4–5(–8) per node, each cyme with 1–5 flowers; peduncles 2–5 mm long, shortly stellate-hairy; bracts 1–3, linear, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2–3 mm long, hairy. Sepals linear-lanceolate, 6–7 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, tip retuse, densely stellate-hairy outside. Petals elliptic, 4 mm long, 1 mm wide, with rounded tip and clawed base; stamens 8, 4 mm long; ovary globose, densely stellate-hairy. Fruits 1–3 per node, spherical, 6–10(–13) mm diameter, 4-locular, at maturity dehiscing completely into 4 separate valves, surface largely covered with 80–100 bristles each ± 2 mm long, yellow-brown, densely stellate-tomentose, the long hairs obscuring the fruit-body, the bristle crowned at the tip with 4–7 very small radiate hairs. Fig. 12/1–3.
