Shrubs to 3 m tall; stems subquadrangular toward the apex, densely pilose, the hairs light brown to 2 mm long, spreading. Leaves elliptic, to 21 cm long and 8.5 cm wide, apically acuminate, basally attenuate, sparingly pilose above, the costa and the lateral veins densely pilose, the hairs light brown, 1-1.5 mm long, pilose beneath, venation prominent, the margins entire or undulate; petioles ca. 1.5 cm long, densely pilose. Inflorescences in terminal spikes borne singly or in panicles, to 9 cm long and 1 cm wide, the peduncle densely pilose as in the stems, ca. 1 cm long, the rachis white tomentose; bracts closely imbricate, dark brown upon drying, apically acute, ovate lanceolate, to 9 mm long and 6 mm wide, puberulous outside, and with strigose hairs toward the tip and along the mid-vein to the base on some bracts, with two dorsal clusters of 10-20 shiny, oval, submarginal glands each ca. 0.5 mm long, the margins of bracts ciliolate, the bracteoles ovate lanceolate, to 6 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, keeled, striate nerved, puberulous with pilose hairs along the keel toward the apex, the margins ciliolate. Flowers with the calyx segments to 7.5 mm long, puberulous, striate-nerved, the posterior segment ovate lanceolate, to 3.5 mm wide, the lateral segments linear lanceolate to 1.5 mm wide, the anterior segments lanceolate to 2.5 mm wide, all apically apiculate; corolla red or light bluish red, to 6.5 cm long, puberulous outside, the tube funnelform, glabrous inside, slightly curved, to 4.5 cm long, 7 mm wide at the mouth, 4.5 mm wide at the base, the upper lip erect to 20 mm long and 8 mm wide, 2-lobed, the lobes apically acuminate and keeled to 8 mm long and 4 mm wide, the middle lobe of the lower lip spreading, lanceolate, to 21 mm long and 8.5 mm wide, apically acute, the lateral lobes triangular, attached on one side to the upper lip, apically rounded, the free portion 3 mm long, 2 mm wide; stamens exserted, about equaling the upper lip and enclosed by it, the filaments puberulous toward the base, the anthers dorsally pilose and basally slightly apiculate; the pistil glabrous. Capsules clavate, dark brown, shiny, glabrous, to 23 mm long, 10 mm wide, 4 mm thick; seeds 2-4, oval, flattened, 7 mm long, 5 mm broad, the surface reticulate, dark brown.
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