Perennial herb to shrublet, 0.4-1 m tall. All parts evenly stellate-hairy except petals, ovary and seeds. Leaves with filiform to subulate, 2-3 mm long stipules, and 0.5-3.5 cm long petioles; blades 2-7 x 0.8-3 cm, more than 2 times longer than broad, ovate-lanceolate, sharply serrate, acute, cuneate to rounded at base. Inflorescence an axillary or rarely leaf-opposed raceme, 1-1.5 cm long. Male flowers: subsessile; sepals linear-lanceolate, about 2.5-3.5 cm long; petals lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, scale-covered outside; yellowish stamens 4-7. Female flowers: pedicel accrescent in fruit up to 2-3 cm, deflexed; sepals and petals as in males; ovary covered with dense, silvery scales; styles 3, each 2-branched. Capsule 4-6 x 6-8 mm, obtusely 3-lobed, conical tubercled, purplish-blue, densely scale-covered.