Diffuse perennial, prostrate or trailing herb. Stem quadrangular, retrorsely softly pubescent at least on angles. Leaves ± sessile, 4 in a whorl, ovate-elliptic, 1-3 x 0.5-1.5 cm, acute, obtuse or mucronate, distinctly 3-nerved, not recurved, dotted and pubescent above, villous-pubescent beneath, sometimes on nerves and margins only. Inflorescence of terminal or axillary, divaricately or trichotomously branched cymes; peduncles and pedicels filiform; bracts foliaceous in pains, smaller than leaves, pedicel 1-3 mm long. Flowers white or yellowish, minute, c. 1.5 mm in diameter. Corolla lobes lanceolate, acute, one-nerved, c. 0.8 mm long. Fruits small, c. 0.5 mm, globose, covered with soft whitish hooked bristles.

Fl. Per.: July-October.

Type: Nepal, Wall. Cat. No. 6212 (K-W).

Distribution: India, Pakistan, Himalayas, China-Yunnan.

A fairly common and highly variable species, usually several infraspecific categroies are recognized on the basis of leaf size and degree of pubescene. However, variation seems to be more or less continuous; grows from 1200-1300 m. in moist shady places.