Glabrous but often glaucous, robust. Leaves opposite or scattered; lamina oblong to ovate or broadly elliptic, 7-15 by (2-)3.5-7 cm, thick, truncate or shortly cuneate at the base to a dark-coloured petiole 10-25 mm long, rounded at the apex, dull on both sides; venation pinnate with the midrib and the main laterals distinct on both sides and the midrib prominent and dark-coloured below. Inflorescencess at the nodes, a raceme of 1-5 decussate pairs of triads with all flowers pedicellate; axis 3-20 mm long; peduncles of the triads 1.5-5 mm long; pedicels of the flowers 0.5-2 mm long. Corolla in mature bud 6-merous, 45-70 mm long, robust, gradually widened upwards, weakly clavate and obtuse at the apex, red in the lower part, usually dark purple, brown or black at the apex; tube in the open flower 30-48 mm long. Anther 2-3.5 mm long, obtuse, about half as long as the free part of the filament. Style articulate c. 0.5 mm above the base. Fig. 11.
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