Shrubs to 4 m high; stems subquadrangular in younger portions, soon becom-ing terete, strigose to glabrate, the lenticels elliptical, ca. 1 mm long. Leaves oblong elliptical to oblong ovate, 25-35 cm long, 7-11 cm wide, apically acumi-nate, basally attenuate, glabrous to sparingly strigose above, sparingly strigose to strigose beneath, the costa and the lateral veins prominent beneath, from 11-22 pairs of lateral veins, the margins entire to slightly crenate; unwinged portion of petiole 0.5-6 cm long. Inflorescences terminal, solitary, or several, the spikes, to 25 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, the peduncle of terminal spike to 1.5 cm long, those of lateral spikes longer, the rachis glabrous; bracts imbricate, red to or-ange when fresh, drying to brown with dark brown borders, rhombic-ovate, to 16 mm long, 13 mm wide, mostly apically obtuse but some apiculate with 2 dull, alveolate, submarginal glandular areas on the upper half of the bract, 4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 3-nerved, glabrous, the margins entire and hyaline for 0.25-0.5 mm; bractlets falcate, to 1 cm long and 3.5 mm wide, subearinate, apically acute, keel puberulous to hirsute, striate-nerved. Flowers with the calyx segments oblong, to 22 mm long, the posterior segment 9 mm wide, the anterior segments 5.5 mm wide, the lateral segments 4.5 mm wide, all apically acute and apiculate, glabrous, striate nerved; corolla yellow or orange, gla-brous, the upper lip erect, lanceolate, 2 cm long, ca. 6 mm wide, apically bi-lobed, these triangular, ca. 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, acuminate and apiculate, the middle lobe of the lower lip spreading, lance-ovate, ca. 2 cm long and 12 mm wide, apically acuminate, the lateral segments Ca. 7 mm long, partly adnate to the upper lip, free portions triangular, Ca. 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, obtuse. Capsules obovoid, 2.0-2.3 cm long, 7 mm wide and 5 mmin thick, glabrous, nitid and punctate.
Home