Shrub, rounded, to 60 cm tall, spinescent. Stems erect, densely branched, woody at base, glabrous to minutely puberulous or short stipitate-glandular at apex, grey; internodes 2-5 mm long. Leaves lanceolate to narrowly spathulate, 25-40 x 4-7 mm, overtopping flowers, glabrous to densely short stipitate-glandular with glands hardly visible; apex cuspidate, mucronate; base attenuate; midrib prominent beneath, strongly spinescent, lateral veins often also spinescent, forming short, weaker spines, spines straight, at acute angles upwards, 18-25 mm long. Flowers solitary or in pairs, axillary; bracteoles weakly spinescent. Calyx lobed about halfway, c. 12 mm long, turns woody around capsule; tube c. 6 mm long, at base densely short papillose or short stipitate-glandular outside; lobes lanceolate, c. 7 mm long, stipitate-glandular on inside and outside, apex acute, margins short hairy at apex. Corolla 15-25 mm long; sparsely hairy outside; tube with 2-5 mm long narrow base, gradually widening, widened part 10-15(-20) mm long, 2-5 mm diam. at mouth, whitish with purple venation outside; lobes ovate to circular, 2-3 x 3-4 mm, inside reddish-purple with darker patch at base. Stamens 4, unequal, longer pair reaching to upper 1/3 of corolla, shorter pair reaching to 1/2 of corolla; anthers ciliate, those of longer pair somewhat larger than those of shorter pair. Ovary oblong to ovoid, minutely glandular, apex with longer white hairs; style filiform, well exserted from corolla mouth; stigma not much wider than style. Capsule oblong to ovoid, 4-5 mm long, puberulous, apex compressed, white ciliate, valve margin ciliate. Seeds obovoid, black, punctulate. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year. Peak flowering and fruiting: Sept.-Oct.
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