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Erect, simple or few-branched herb up to 35 cm. high, arising from a subspherical tuber 5–10(20) cm. in diameter. Stems annual, with internodes 0·5–3(7) cm. long, reddish near apex. Leaf-lamina 7–22 × (0·75)1–6·5 cm., oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate-linear, acute at the apex with mucro c. 0·5 mm. long, margin entire, acute to long-attenuate and inconspicuously auricled at the base, membranous to subcoriaceous, reddish-green or glaucous-green, finely purplish-brown spotted beneath, penninerved, with 4–6 pairs of ascending main nerves and fairly distinct reticulation; petiole (0)1–2(4) mm. long. Glands of the lamina-base 2, 1–2 mm. in diameter, on 2 ± inwards curved auricles c. 2 mm. in diameter; lamina-glands 0–20, scattered. Stipules 1–2·5 mm. long, narrowly triangular, entire or 2–5-dentate or partite. Tendrils 0. Cymes sessile or with a peduncle up to 15 mm. long, 1–5-flowered, the flowers yellowish; bracts and bracteoles 1–2·5 mm. long, narrowly triangular, sometimes serrulate; pedicel 3–5 mm. long in the male flower and 2–4 mm. long in the hermaphrodite. Flowers polygamous. male flower: 10–26 × 3–6(8) mm. (incl. the 3–7 mm. long stipe), tubular-infundibuliform; hypanthium 1·5–3 mm. long; calyx-tube 5–8(9) mm. long; calyx-lobes 3–7(8) mm. long, oblong, obtuse, fimbriate or denticulate or entire; petals 6–10 × 0·75–2 mm., lanceolate-linear, acute, 1–3-nerved, fimbriate in the upper 2/3 or only near the apex, inserted at the same level or up to 3 mm. above the corona, this consisting of a dense row of hairs 0·75–2 mm. long; stamen-filaments 4–7 mm. long, connate at the base, inserted at the base of the hypanthium or on an androgynophore up to 3 mm. long; anthers 3–5 × 0·75–1 mm., obtuse, with a ± blunt or acute, ± papillate apiculum 0·2–0·5 mm. long; disk-glands 0·5–0·75 mm. long; vestigial ovary 1–1·5 mm. long (incl. gynophore). hermaphrodite flower: 12–26 × 3–8 mm. (incl. 2·5–8 mm. long stipe), tubular-infundibuliform, slightly larger than the male flower, yellowish-green; hypanthium (0·5) 1–2·5 mm. long; calyx-tube 4–8(10) mm. long; calyx-lobes 4–8(9) mm. long, oblong, obtuse or acute; petals 5–12 × 0·5–1·75 mm., lanceolate-linear, acute, fimbriate, inserted at the same level as the corona; corona as in male; stamen-filaments 3–7 mm. long, free or shortly connate at the base, inserted at the base of the hypanthium or on an androgynophore up to 1 mm. long; anthers 2·5–4 (4·5) × 0·5–1 mm., sometimes partly abortive towards the apex, with a blunt, often papillate apiculum 0·5–1 mm. long; pistil 7–10(12) mm. long; gynophore 2(4) mm. long; ovary 3·5–5(6) × 2·5–4(4·5) mm., ellipsoid-oblong; styles ± free or shortly connate at the base, with arms 0·75–1·5 mm. long ending in subglobular papillate stigmas. female flower resembling the male and the hermaphrodite flowers but 16–22 mm. long (incl. the 2·5–5 mm. long stipe), and with petals 5–7 × 0·5–1 mm. and ± free staminodes c. 2 mm. long. Capsule 3–(4·5) × 2–2·5 cm., pendent at maturity, ellipsoid to obovoid, 3–6-ribbed, with coriaceous pericarp, 30–40-seeded. Seeds 4–4·5 × 3·5 × 2–2·5 mm., ovoid to subglobular, pitted.