Descripcion

Subshrubs 3-10 dm. tall; stems subherbaceous, woody toward the base, in-- frequently branched, the branches alternate to approximate, leaf scars on older parts prominent, sparsely lenticellate to elenticellate, reddish- to gray-brown. Leaves alternate to approximate, subsessile to petiolate, meinbranaceous, narrowly elliptic to slightly lanceolate, 4-7 cm. long, 0.8-2.5 cm. broad, apex acuminate, mucronulate, base acute, without cyathiform or scutelliform. glands, the margin serrulate, broadly callose, the midrib prominent, secondary venation obvious, not prominent; petiole 0.1-0.4 cm. long. Inflorescence 3.5-8.5 cm. long, sessile or shortly pedunculate below the lowest pistillate cymule, the upper staminate and lower pistillate cymules spiral, not distinctly separate upon the peduncle, the pistil- late cymules widely spaced, the staminate crowded; bracts of pistillate and stam.- inate cymules broadly rhombic, mucronulate, the glands tubiform to urceolate, about 2.5 mm. long. Sepals of pistillate flower 3, elliptic, mucronulate; ovary sessile, 3-carpellate; styles about 4-5 mm. long. Staminate cymules 7- to 9- flowered, the flowers subsessile, about 2 mm. long; calyx shallowly 2-lobed, the lobes entire to slightly serrulate; pollen ovoid to ellipsoid, with 3 pores, the exine unevenly striate to granular. Fruit not seen. Lobes of the gynobase 3-4 mm. long; seeds ellipsoid, 6 mm. long, 4.5 mm. wide, slightly rugulose, light gray, the caruncle small, hippocrepiform, attached below the micropyle.