Pilea cordistipulata C. J. Chen

Herbs perennial, stoloniferous, dioecious or monoecious. Stems often reddish, simple or few branched, 5-20 cm tall, succulent, with galls on mid portion of internodes. densely pubescent, Stipules persistent, subcordate, 5-8 mm, membranous, obtuse at apex, veinless; petioles, unequal in length, 0.5-3 cm, pubescent; leaf blade abaxially purplish then brownish green when dry, adaxially dark green, but brownish when dry, obovate-oblong or ovate-oblong, subequal or unequal in size, 1.2-7 × 1-3.8 cm, membranous, 3-veined, rarely basal lateral veins not extending beyond middle of leaf blade, prominent on both surfaces, lateral veins several, subtransverse, inconspicuous, abaxial surface pubescent along veins, adaxial surface sparsely pilose, base rounded or obtuse, margin dentate, apex acute, shortly acuminate. Male inflorescence a cymose panicle, 3-6 cm overall, peduncle 2-3 cm; female cymes dichotomously branched many times, 2-5 cm. pedunculate. Male flowers pedicellate, in bud 2-2.5 mm; perianth lobes 4, ovate-elliptic, subapically inconspicuously corniculate; stamens 4; rudimentary ovary small, cylindric. Female flowers subsessile; perianth lobes connate at base, unequal, abaxial lobe cymbiform, longer, subapically corniculate; staminodes 3, scale-like, oblong. Achene greenish brown, obliquely ovoid, ca. 0.8 mm, slightly compressed, verrucose. Fl. Nov-Apr, fr. May-Jun.

NW Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, SE Yunnan.

* Shaded wet places along ditches, streams, near streams; 1100-1300 m.