It has whorled leaves and single fruiting peduncles rising above basal rosettes. The leaves are opposite or rarely whorled, simple and ovate to lanceolate in shape. The inflorescence is a raceme composed of large flowers whorled by threes. The leaves are opposite or whorled, and sessile. Their leaves are usually evergreen, alternate or whorled, simple and without stipules. The leaves are smooth, shiny, whorled and entire, and clustered at the ends of branchlets. These are whorled, serrate, or ctenidial. The flowers are often small, with single whorled or absent perianth. The tepals typically are arranged in a spiral, but sometimes are whorled at the periphery. It has palmate leaves with 7-12 leaflets growing in a whorled fashion. It has whorled spikes of reddish-green flowers, which bloom in early summer, becoming purplish. There are five whorled sepals at the base of the corolla. The staminal tube structure contains numerous whorled anthers, these are yellow. The whorled arrangement is fairly unusual on plants except for those with particularly short internodes. Submerged leaves are whorled; aerial leaves are whorled or oppositely arranged.