Subshrubs dioecious, 30-120 cm tall. Stems erect, branched, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Leaves alternate; nanophylls absent; stipules lanceolate, 9-14 × 2-3 mm, glabrous, with cystoliths; petiole 1-5 mm; leaf blade obliquely elliptic or elliptic-obovate, (8-)10-18(-21) × (3.5-)4.5-7.5(-10) cm, papery, major basal lateral veins asymmetric, 1 basal, the other arising above base, both surfaces glabrous or abaxial surface sparsely strigillose along nerves, cystoliths conspicuous, dense; base with broader half broadly cuneate, margin crenate, apex cuspidate or acuminate. Male inflorescences 2-5-clustered, simple, ca. 2 mm in diam.; peduncle 1-2 mm; receptacle very small; bracts connate, broadly ovate. Female inflorescences 5-9-clustered, 4-9 × 3-5 mm; peduncle 2-6 mm; receptacle 2-5 mm in diam.; bracts triangular or ovate; bracteoles spatulate-linear. Male flowers 4-merous. Achenes ellipsoid, 10-ribbed. Fl. Jul-Dec.

Valley forests, dark damp places along streamsides; 200-2000 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, S Guizhou, S Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Thailand, N Vietnam].