Stems red, erect to ascending from a repent base, (5-)10-35 cm long, sometimes a few in a clump as short as 5 cm long, ca. (1.5-)3-5 mm in diameter toward base, usually many-branched, internodes 0.5-6 cm long, moderately to densely spreading or somewhat appressed hirsute or sometimes hirtellous, the hairs ca. 0.5-1.2 mm long.
Leaves
Leaves 2-4 per node, upper surface dark green, veins of lower surface usually pale green, intercostal areas red or sometimes pale green, somewhat thickened and fleshy, drying chartaceous to somewhat coriaceous, ovate to elliptic-ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, sometimes some of them elliptic, elliptic-obovate, or elliptic-oblanceolate, 1-5(-6) cm long, 0.5-2.5(-3) cm wide, palmately 3-nerved or 5-nerved, the outermost pair obscure, sometimes all but midrib obscure, the principal nerves probably somewhat impressed, hirsute, sometimes upper surface sparsely hirsute or hirsute only toward margins, along principal veins, or at base, margins flat, apex bluntly acute, obtuse, or sometimes acute or broadly obtuse, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, petioles 0.3-1(-1.7) cm long, densely hirsute.
Flowers
Spikes several to numerous, terminal and axillary, 3-9 cm long, sometimes the axillary ones as short as 2 cm long, the rachis ca. 1-1.5 mm in diameter, glabrous, flowers loosely congested, peduncles 0.5-2 cm long, rarely a few of them up to 2.2 cm long; ovary ovoid, apex oblique; stigmas subterminal.
Fruit
Fruit broadly ovoid, 0.7-0.9 mm long, sometimes slightly beaked.
