Herbs perennial, stoloniferous, glabrous, dioecious. Stems green-blue when dry, 30-60 cm tall, succulent, swollen between nodes, cystoliths dense. Stipules persistent, narrowly triangular, 2-4 mm, membranous; petiole unequal in length, 1-10 cm; leaf blade abaxially pale green, adaxially dark green, falcate-lanceolate or elliptic-ovate, asymmetric, unequal in size, 8-23 × 2.5-11 cm, membranous, 3-veined, lateral veins many, regularly transverse, external secondary veins anastomosing by margin, cystoliths fusiform often conspicuous adaxially, base subrounded or subcordate, margin entire or shallowly 1-3-crenate-serrate near apex, apex acuminate or long acuminate. Inflorescences solitary, cymose paniculate, 7-21 cm overall, peduncle 5-12 cm. Male flowers subsessile, in bud ca. 1 mm; perianth lobes 4, narrowly ovate, apex acute; stamens 4; rudimentary ovary minute. Female flowers subsessile; perianth lobes connate at base, subequal, abaxial lobe larger, subapically corniculate; staminodes 3, conspicuous, scale-like, oblong. Achene brownish, triangular-ovoid, ca. 1 mm, compressed, slightly oblique at apex, with a strongly elevated convex lens ring. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep-Nov.

This species is is easily confused with Pilea anisophylla, which is characterized by the very unequal leaves, the smaller leaves almost sessile, and the smooth achenes.

Broad-leaved forests, shaded wet places or rocks by streams, near streams; 1400-2800 m. W Guangxi, SW Guizhou, Yunnan [N Thailand, N Vietnam].