Perennial herb or subshrub 25–50 cm tall; stems ascending, rooting in lower parts, smooth to weakly 4-angled, hirsute, with soft, spreading pellucid hairs. Leaves opposite below, becoming alternate above, ovate to narrow-ovate, 10–55 mm long, 3–20 mm wide, coriaceous, pilose, sessile, margins with 10–15 large blunt teeth; bracts lanceolate, 3–15 mm long, green, entire or sparsely serrate; bracteoles linear, 1–2 mm long, membranous, brown. Inflorescence 1–7-flowered; pedicels to 0.5 mm long; sepals 4, green or reddish, triangular, 0.8–0.9 mm long; petals 4, green or reddish, 1.8–2.3 mm long; stamens 8; ovary 4-celled, ovoid to globose, 0.6–0.7 mm long, 4-angled, pilose, styles 4, stigmas red to yellow. Fruit ovoid, usually 1–3 per axil, 2–2.5 mm long, 1.5–2 mm diam., reddish-brown, bluntly 4-angled, weakly transversely rugose, pilose, 4-celled but 1 usually abortive. Flowers Nov.–Jan.
