Euphr., Beskr. St. Barth.165.1795 Erect or reclining suffruticose herb, l m tall; stems with several light ridges; young parts strigilose. Leaves opposite; petioles 0.5-1.5 cm long; blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate in lower part of plant, linear in upper flowering part, acuminate and mucronate at apex, acute to attenuate at base, 5-9 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide. Inflorescences spicate, ovoid to linear, usually ca 1 cm long and 5 mm wide, pedunculate, alternate, subtended by linear leaves, in panicles merging with vegetative part of plant, the reproductive part to 50 cm long or more; flowers bisexual, subtended by transparent, mucronate bracts to 1 mm long; sepals 5, acute, 1-1.5 mm long, pilose and subtended by dense woolly pubescence; stamens 5; stigmas 2, not much longer than style. Utricles fragile, indehiscent, capped, falling with sepals; seed lens-shaped, ca 0.7 mm diam, reddish-brown to dark brown. Croat 8710.