Perennial herb or ± subshrub, ("bisexual"), ("bisexual") + ("female"), ("female"),("bisexual") + ("male"),("male")+ ("bisexual") + ("female"), less commonly ("male") or ("male") + ("female"), several- to many-stemmed, somewhat woody near base and with often ± thick, woody root; sometimes rather short-lived. Habit variable: plants scrambling, straggling or trailing and with stems to 2,5(-3) m long; sometimes ± erect, cylindrical to rounded, to c. 0,3(-0,5) m tall and with ± thick, almost rosette-like base; occasionally low and ± mat- or cushion-formÂing with shoots c. (20-)75-150(-200) mm long. Stems unbranched to much branched; branches often ± regular, arising in pairs, frequently with short branches of a higher order, often with short shoots bearing rather small leaves. Leaves decussate; blades 5-55 x (1—)2—25 mm, ± ovate, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate to ± linear-lanceolate, cuneate to rounded at base, glabrous, ± densely papillate or shortly hairy, often distinctly discolourous; petioles 0,7-6,5 mm long; stipular sheath typically with (3-)5(-7) filiform setae*, seldom with only 1 ± triangular seta, the longest (0,3-)0,7-6,1 mm. Flowers mostly on short lateral branches, in ± sessile to somewhat elongated clusters of many to 6 (less commonly only 2) at nodes; corolla 4-merous, greenish to yellow or yellowish, sometimes reddish purplish tinged, mostly papillate or shortly hairy at least near tip. ("bisexual"), ("male"): tube (1,5-)2-3,7 mm long (in ("bisexual") often longer than in ("male")), cylindrical, lobes (1,5-)2-2,7(-3,4) x 0,3-0,7 mm; anÂthers (0,9-)1,2-2(-2,5) mm long; ("male"): small rudimentary ovary and stigmas present, the latter hidden in corolla tube; ("bisexual"): gynoecium as in ("female") but stigmas only c. (2-)2,4-5(-6,4) mm long. ("female"): tube 0,3-0,7(-l ,2) mm long, lobes 0,3-0,7(-1) X 0,1-0,3 mm; style ± 0-0,8 mm long; stigmas 2, (2-)4-10,2 mm long; ovary 0,5-1,2 X 0,4-0,7 mm, sometimes with 4 often indistinct calyx lobes. Fruit yellowish brown or reddish brown, mostly with ± broad, conspicuous longitudinal grooves between me-ricarps; mericarps (1,5-) 1,7-2,5(-2,8) x 0,9-1,6 mm, elliptic, oblong to ±obovate, ± densely covered with ± tuberculate structures, shortly hairy, papillate or subglabrous, occasionally with 2 obscure, ± triangular to rounded calyx lobes c. 0,2-0,3 x 0,2-0,3 mm. ChroÂmosome number: 2n=22. Fig. 4; 5: 5 & 6. * Setae should not be confused with small, sometimes ± linear short shoot leaves crowded in axils of long shoot leaves!
