Shrubs, evergreen, 40--130 cm tall. Stems many-branched; branches hard, without ringlike scars, pith reduced; young branches densely strigose; hairs rust colored to brown, attenuate from conical base, usually mixed with 6--12 rayed stellate hairs. Bud scales scalelike. Leaf blade spatulate, obovate, or subrhombic, (1.5--)2.0--5.0(--7.6) X (0.8--)1.0--2.2(--2.9) cm, both surfaces densely and uniformly strigose, base abruptly constricted and then becoming attenuate, apex acute. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, 5--20-flowered; bracts oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, 6--7.5 X 2--2.8 mm; bractlets lanceolate, 5--7.2 X 1.5--2 mm. Calyx (7--)8--9.5(--10.5) X ca. 1.5 mm, sericeous between ribs and mixed with a few stellate hairs. Corolla 1.5--1.9 cm, tube purple; lobes blue, obdeltate, 6--7 X 4.5--5 mm, apex emarginate and triangularly mucronate. Anthers blue, ca. 2 mm. Ovary ovoid. Style branches equal in length to anthers. Capsules ca. 6 mm. Seeds dark brown. Fl. Aug-Dec, fr. Sep-Jan.
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