Straggling or erect perennial herb, 30-90 cm tall, much-branched and sometimes forming untidy masses; stems brittle, 6-angular, ± prominently pale-ridged, with white appressed to (spreading-) retrorse hairs mainly on ridges or more widespread. Leaves often absent at fruiting; ovate, 2-4 x 0.9-2.3 cm, base rounded, obtuse or shortly attenuate, apex acute or attenuate, mucronulate, surfaces pale antrorse-pubescent, more sparse above, sometimes restricted to veins beneath; lateral veins 3-4 pairs; petiole 4-18 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, 1(2) lax umbels of (1)2-4 cymules per axil; umbel peduncle 11-70 mm long, indumentum as young stems, sometimes with interspersed short spreading glandular hairs; main axis bracts linear-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 2.5-7 x 0.5-2 mm; longest cymule peduncle in each umbel 2-37 mm long; cymule bract pairs unequal, ratio 1.3-1.5(1.65):1, green, later turning brownish, with inconspicuous 'windows' and a narrow pale hyaline margin to lower half, larger bract (elliptic-) lanceolate, 8.5-18 x 2-4 mm, apex attenuate to acuminate, 3-veined from base but only midrib prominent, surface antrorse-pubescent sometimes restricted to midrib, usually also sparsely to more densely glandular-and eglandular-puberulous; bracteoles green with pale-hyaline margin, lanceolate, 5-9 x 1 mm, acuminate, glandular-and eglandular-puberulous. Calyx lobes 4-6 mm long, glandular-puberulent, margin strigulose. Corolla 21.5-33 mm long, pink, mauve or red-violet with darker guidelines, eglandular-pubescent externally, with or without interspersed shorter glandular hairs; tube 11-14 mm long; lip held in upper position narrowly oblong, 10.5-19 x 2.5-5 mm, palate glabrous; lip held in lower position elliptic, 10-17.5 x 3-7 mm. Staminal filaments 10.5-17.5 mm long, sparsely hairy or largely glabrous; anther thecae 1-1.3 mm long, superposed. Style strigulose in lower half. Capsule 8-9 mm long, puberulous towards apex, hairs mainly glandular; placental base elastic. Seeds lenticular, c.1.7 mm in diameter, tuberculate, tubercles without conspicuous hooks.
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