Shrubs, stems procumbent, to 3 m. Branchlets yellow-brown, shortly stellate hairy. Petiole 2-3 mm; leaf blade ovate-orbicular, sometimes 3-lobed, 2-4.5 × 1.5-4.5 cm, thickly papery to slightly fleshy, abaxially densely yellow-brown tomentose, adaxially more sparsely shortly stellate tomentose, basal veins 5-7, base cordate, margin crenate, apex obtuse. Cymes solitary, 2-5-flowered; peduncle 5-10(-35) mm. Pedicel 2-3(-10) mm. Sepals 9-13 × 2-2.5 mm, abaxially moderately densely stellate hairy, adaxially densely stellate tomentose near base, tips with subapical appendage terete, 1-2 mm, glabrous. Petals linear-obovate, 7.5-9 × ca. 4 mm, claw tomentose. Androgynophore ca. 0.5 mm. Stamens 20-35; filaments 5-8 mm, glabrous. Capsule globose, 4-loculed, 1.5-2 cm in diam., spiny, indehiscent, glabrous or with sparse simple and stellate hairs; spines robust, 3-5 mm, puberulent, curved at tip. Seeds 1 or 2 per cell. Fr. May-Sep.

Coastal strands near sea level. South China Sea [Japan, Malaysia; Australia, Indian Ocean islands (Diego Garcia, Seychelles), SW Pacific islands].