Woody perennial herb or small shrub, erect or rooting at the basal nodes, sometimes more or less scandent, 0.6–2 m., much-branched with the branches spreading at 45–90 degrees. Stem and branches in the older parts terete, striate and glabrescent, when young quadrangular and sulcate with pale, thick corners, more or less densely pilose with yellowish, subappressed hairs, slightly swollen at the nodes. Leaves ovate to elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 2–10 × 1–4.6 cm., acute to acuminate at the mucronate apex, shortly to longly cuneate at the base with a 2–5 mm. petiole, moderately but finely pubescent on both surfaces (generally more conspicuously so on the lower surface of the primary venation|. Inflorescences rather short spikes, 7–8 mm. wide and finally elongating to 2–5 cm., terminal and generally 2 at each node in the axils of the opposite leaves of stem or branches, sessile or on peduncles up to c. 4 cm. long; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 2–2.5 mm. long, more or less densely appressed-pubescent, sharply mucronate with the excurrent midrib, finally spreading or deflexed; bracteoles whitish, broadly deltoid-ovate with the margins slightly overlapping at the base, c. 2 mm. long with a distinct 0.5 mm. long mucro formed by the excurrent midrib, glabrous or slightly pilose along the midrib and/or margins. Flowers sessile. Tepals white or greenish, very firm, faintly c. 5-nerved with still more obscure finer nerves: the 2 outer lanceolate-oblong, acute, sharply mucronate, 3.5–4.5 mm. long, finally indurate at the base, narrowly hyaline-bordered, shortly pilose over the entire dorsal surface; the 3 inner lanceolate-ovate, acute to acuminate,pilose mainly centrally, the hyaline border widened below. Stamens c. 2.5 mm. long; pseudostaminodes absent. Style c. 0.75 mm. long. Capsule oblong-ovoid, c. 2.5–3 mm. long. Seed ovoid, c. 1.75 mm. long, brown, shining, faintly reticulate.