Leaves: petiole 2-7 mm; largest medial blade subcircular to circular, 13-28 × 7-18 mm, 1-1.5 times as long as wide, base subcordate, cordate, or convex, apex convex, rounded, or retuse, abaxial surface glabrous, pilose or villous. Catkins: staminate 12.5-15.5 × 8-10 mm, flowering branchlet 3-12 mm; pistillate stout, subglobose, or globose, 10-31 × 6-12 mm, flowering branchlet 3.5-15 mm. Staminate flowers: abaxial nectary 0.8-1.1 mm, adaxial nectary 0.7-1.1 mm, nectaries connate and cup-shaped. Pistillate flowers: abaxial nectary absent, adaxial nectary ovate, 0.5-2.1 mm; stipe 0.2-1.4 mm; ovary glaucous or not, usually glabrous, sometimes pubescent, or villous. Capsules 5.2-6.5 mm.

Flowering mid May-late Jul. Arctic and possibly subarctic, shores of lakes and lagoons, Empetrum tundra, in moss on rocky pavements, meadows, beach ridges; 10-600 m; Alaska; Asia (Chukotka, Russia).