Description: Succulent herbs, monoecious, rhizomatous, densely hispid or chaffy reddish brown hairs on rhizomes, stem, stipules, petioles, inflorescences, bracts, tepals outside and immature capsules. Stipules membranous, ovate, ca 1 cm long, persistent. Leaves alternate, obliquely ovate, 6–20 cm long; apex acuminate; base cordate; blade with chaffy hairs on lower surface and nerves above; petioles to 25 cm long. Inflorescences dichotomous cymes, 10–25 cm long with 6–8 male staminate and 2 pistillate flowers; bracts ovate, ca 2 cm long, persistent; flowers whitish pink. Staminate flowers with 1–2 cm long pedicels; tepals 4, decussate, 1–2 cm long, outer ones slightly larger; stamens numerous; filaments connate at base; anthers 2-celled; connectives extended at apex. Pistillate flowers with 1.5–2 cm long pedicels; tepals 5, obovate, unequal, 0.5–1.5 cm long. Ovary inferior, densely pubescent; styles 2, fused at base, forked at tip; stigma turgid, spirally twisted. Capsules ca 2 cm long, glabrous, unequally 3-winged; upper wing elliptic, 1.5–1.7 cm long; lower 2 narrower, 3–4 mm wide. Seeds numerous, minute. |
| Distribution: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and northern Thailand, only recorded from Doi Inthanon, in montane forest, 1,800–2,300 m. |
