Leaves
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Leaves opposite, 3-14 (-16) cm long, 0.3-1.5 (-2.5) cm wide, recurved, succulent-coriaceous, glossy, linear or linear-elliptic to linear-subulate, occasionally elliptic-oblanceolate, falcate, 1- or 3- or 5-nerved, the midrib more prominent than lateral veins when present, glabrous, margins entire and inconspicuously revolute, apex long-attenuate, base tapering and connate at the node.
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Flowers
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Inflorescence terminal, with 69-460 flowers, 1-4 cm long, very congested, head-like, sometimes to 15 cm with 1-2 pairs of additional lateral clusters at the next lower nodes, these somewhat smaller than the terminal dichasia, the staminate inflorescence (occasionally with some hermaphroditic flowers intermixed) less congested and fewer-flowered than the pistillate inflorescence, moderately puberulent or in some populations glandular-puberulent throughout, the hairs erect, translucent, 0.15-0.25 mm long, with or without a small glandular apex; bracts of central axis 2-10 (-30) mm long, those of branches and flowers 1-3 mm long, pedicels 3-9 (-11) mm long, those of staminate (and hermaphroditic) flowers longer than those of pistillate ones, slightly flattened. Staminate flowers: Sepals 2.5-3.3 mm long, ovate, green or tinged purple toward the apex, opaque, reflexed and convex at the base, producing a small transverse bulge, broadly navicular oriented at 100° to 120° angle to the pedicel, moderately puberulent or in some populations glandular-puberulent, the hairs 0.05-0.25 mm long, margins conspicuously scarious, entire, glabrous, apex obtuse; nectary base 0.6-0.75 mm long, greenish yellow, the nectary shaft plump, 1.1-1.3 mm long, arched and usually making contact with the sepal surface and nectar pooling directly onto the sepal, apex unequally divided, the adaxial lobe longer than the abaxial one, each lobe notched; stamens 10 (-11), filaments subequal, 3.5-4.5 mm long, anthers 0.8-1.3 mm long, yellow; styles 3-6, green, short and non-functional, becoming shriveled. Hermaphroditic flowers occurring occasionally intermixed in staminate inflorescences, numbers varying with site and moisture, similar to staminate flowers except ovary and styles functioning. Pistillate flowers: Sepals 2.5-3 mm long, ovate, green or tinged purple toward the apex, opaque, reflexed and convex at the base, producing a small transverse bulge, deeply navicular, oriented at 100° to 130° angle to the pedicel, moderately puberulent or in some populations glandular-puberulent, the hairs 0.05-0.25 mm long, margins conspicuously scarious, entire, glabrous or with scattered hairs externally, apex obtuse; nectary base vestigial, 0.2-0.5 mm long, sometimes divided into two unequal parts, producing little or no nectar, greenish yellow, the nectary shaft plump, 0.9-1.2 mm long, arched and usually making contact with the sepal surface and nectar, if produced, pooling directly onto the sepal, apex very unequally divided, the adaxial lobe longer than the abaxial one, each lobe deeply notched; stamens (9-) 10 (-11), vestigial, filaments unequal, but alternate whorl always shorter than the antisepalous whorl, 0.6-1.5 mm long, anthers 0.2-0.3 mm long, yellow, not producing pollen; styles 3-6.
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