Herbs perennial, dioecious, 24-70 cm tall, usually with bulbils. Stems ascending or erect, simple or rarely branched, glabrous. Leaves alternate; nanophylls absent; stipules triangular or subulate, 4 × 0.3-0.4 mm, glabrous, with cystoliths; petiole 1-4 mm; leaf blade obliquely elliptic-obovate or oblong, 7-16 × 2.5-4.5 cm, herbaceous or papery, major basal lateral veins absent and venation pinnate, both surfaces glabrous or adaxial surface hirtellous; cystoliths conspicuous, dense; base with broader half auriculate or rounded, margin dentate, apex cuspidate. Male inflorescences solitary, simple, 7-10 mm in diam.; peduncle 1.5-3 mm; receptacle small; bracts connate, bracteoles linear. Female inflorescences solitary, 30-flowered or more, 5-12 × 4-8 mm in diam., sessile; receptacle ca. 3 mm in diam.; bracts triangular; bracteoles spatulate or oblanceolate. Male flowers 5-merous. Achenes ovoid, obscurely ribbed. Fl. Jul-Sep.

This species is used medicinally, known as 白龙骨 (bai long gu).

* Streamsides in ravines, forests; 400-1500 m. S Anhui, N Fujian, S Gansu, SE Henan, W Hubei, NW Hunan, N Jiangxi, S Shaanxi, E Sichuan, NW Zhejiang.