Herbs, prostrate or ascending, up to 1 m high, branched throughout or mostly towards base, rarely rooting at nodes in trailing condition; stems, petioles and pedicels pubescent with scattered, long, patent simple and minute stellate hairs. Leaves 0.5 - 8 x 0.3 - 5.5 cm, ovate to orbicular, cordate, acute to acuminate at apex, crenate-dentate or serrate, 5 - 7-nerved at base, appressed simple hairy mixed with some stellate-hairs on both surfaces; petioles 1.5 - 30 mm long; stipules 1 - 3 mm long, linear, filiform, hairy. Flowers axillary, solitary, ultimately in few-flowered racemes, either by development of accessory buds or by decrescens of upper leaves; pedicels 1 - 2.5 cm long, slender, slightly accrescent, jointed above the middle. Calyx ca 3 mm across, campanulate, 5-fid, lobes cordate up to just above the middle, 4 - 6 x 0.2 mm, deltoid to triangular, acuminate, prominently uninerved, simple and some stellate-hairy outside, glabrous inside except along margin. Corolla yellow to light yellow, ca 10 mm across; petals ca 5 x 4 mm, obovate, ciliate at base. Staminal column ca 3 mm long, basal portion conical, tubular part short, glabrous or with some short, simple hairs. Schizocarps ca 4 x 3 mm, globose, enclosed in persistent calyx, brownish black; mericarps 5, ca 4 x 2 mm, slightly longitudinally keeled on the back, tetrahedral with rounded angles, awn less. Seeds ca 2 x 1 mm, brownish black, glabrous, dispersed by withering of wall.

Fl. & Fr. Throughout the year, mainly during Sept. - Nov.

Distrib. India: In waste lands, humid and shady places up to 1500 m. Throught.

Pantropical.

Notes. Stems, leaves and root bark are medicinal. Stem yields good fibre.

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