Descripcion

Dioecious subshrubs up to 1.7 m tall, with xylopo- dium; stems erect, unarmed, densely strigose with abundant pedicellate glandular trichomes; internodes 2–8 cm. Leaves opposite, sometimes verticillate, 3 per node, upright, sessile to subsessile, petioles up to 1 cm; blade lanceolate, 2–6 × 0.5–0.8 cm, apex acute, base cuneate, margin entirely serrate, slightly revolute, sparsely to densely strigose-scabrous with pedicellate glandular trichomes adaxially and strigose abaxially, coriaceous, notably discolorous, venation pinnate. In- florescences frondose; flowers arranged in lateral spikes, solitary, capituliform, ca. 1 cm diam., cylindrical in fruit, up to 1.4 cm, peduncles 0.5–2.5 cm, densely strigose with pedicellate glandular trichomes. Stami- nate flowers with floral bracts whorled, narrowly ellip- tic, apex acute, densely strigose with pedicellate glan- dular trichomes, green, 6–11 mm, basal and apical bracts free; calyx reduced, ca. 0.3 mm, margin truncate, puberulous, sometimes absent; corolla yellow, 1.5–3 mm, sparsely strigose; pistillode present. Pistillate flow- ers with floral bracts whorled, narrowly elliptic, apex acute, densely strigose with pedicellate glandular tri- chomes, green, 6–11 mm, basal and apical bracts free; calyx tubular, 1–1.5 mm, margin bifid, strigose, ac- crescent in fruit; corolla yellow, 1.5–2.5 mm, sparsely strigose; staminodes sometimes present. Fruit rounded, 2–3 mm diam., splitting into 2 dark brown cluses, en- closed by accrescent calyx.