Pilea symmeria Weddell var. subcoriacea Handel-Mazzetti, Symb. Sin. 7: 134. 1929; P. pterocaulis (Chien) C. J. Chen; P. symmeria var. pterocaulis Chien.

Herbs perennial, stoloniferous, subglabrous, dioecious. Stems often purplish, simple, with several longitudinal wavy wings, 20-70 cm tall, succulent. Stipules persistent, cordate, 4-7 mm, membranous; petioles subequal in length, 0.5-3.5 cm; leaf blade abaxially pale purplish or pale green, adaxially dark green, obovate-oblong or elliptic, subequal in size, 3-10 × 1.5-5.5 cm, papery, 3-veined, prominent adaxially, lateral veins 10-13 each side, slightly prominent adaxially, base rounded or obtuse, margin crenate-serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences solitary; male inflorescence a cymose panicle, often longer than leaves; female cymes dichotomously branched many times, 1-1.5 cm. shortly pedunculate. Male flowers pedicellate, in bud ca. 2 mm; perianth lobes 4, ovate-elliptic; stamens 4; rudimentary ovary small, conic. Female flowers subsessile; perianth lobes connate at base, slightly unequal, abaxial lobe cymbiform, longer, subapically corniculate; staminodes 3, scale-like, oblong. Achene greenish brown, broadly ovoid, ca. 0.8 mm, slightly compressed, verrucose. Fl. Apr, fr. May-Jun.

* Shaded wet places along ditches, streams, near streams; 800-1800 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan, N Yunnan.