Monoecious herb, 20-50 cm tall; stems and petioles moderately to densely pubescent, at least the smaller trichomes conspicuously recurved. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules lanceolate, to ca 1 cm long; petioles mostly 1-2.5 cm long; blades ovate, acute at apex, cuneate at base, mostly 3-6 cm long and 1.5-3 cm wide, strigose-hirsute above, glabrous below except on veins, the margins crenate-serrate; veins palmate at base. Spikes axillary; bisexual spikes ellipsoid to short-cylindrical, the peduncles 6-12 mm long, the pistillate part to 2 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, the staminate part usually a terminal projection 4-7 mm long, bearing 5-10 nodes of flowers and sometimes a bractless pistillate flower. Pistillate flowers solitary, sessile; floral bracts 4-8 mm long, with usually 5 lobes, the medial lobes mostly 2.5-5 mm long; ovary apically 3-keeled, hispidulous, eglandular; styles 1.7-4 mm long, with 3-5 distal branches. Staminate spikes uninterrupted, ca 5-20 mm. long, the peduncles 3-25 mm long. Capsules sharply keeled, hispid to hispidulous; seeds 1-3, ellipsoid, to 1.3 mm long, grayish. Croat 17748.