Herb to 1 m tall. Stem erect or ascending, hexagonal toward tip, angles narrowly winged, internodes glabrous, stipular lines bearing a few small trichomes. Petiole slender, to 20 mm long or more, channel sparingly pubescent with small curved trichomes; blade ovate, 2-5 x 1-2.5 cm or the lowermost larger, acute or short-acuminate at apex, narrowed at base and briefly decurrent on petiole, glabrous on both surfaces; primary vein and secondary veins bearing a few scattered trichomes. Flowers usually solitary, more or less secund in lax spikes, these forming large terminal, much branched panicles; rachis glabrous or bearing a few minute scattered whitish disk-tipped trichomes; cymule bracts 6, two outermost lanceolate, 5 x 1 mm wide at base, acuminate, puberulous, innermost lanceolate, 2.5 x 0.5 mm, densely papillose; flowers subtended by a pair of subulate bracts 1.5 x 0.5 mm wide at base, glabrous or minutely ciliolate. Calyx subhyaline, 2.5 mm long, lobes triangular, 1 mm long, acute, ciliate, midrib prominent, green; corolla red or orange-scarlet, 20-35 mm long, slightly curved, tube 10-20 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide at base, thence gradually enlarged to 3-6 mm apically, finely pubescent, lips about equal 5-15 mm long, 3-6 mm wide at base, thence gradually narrowed to 1.5 mm apically, upper lip erect, rounded or entire at apex, lower lip recurved, 3-lobed at tip, lobes low, about 0.75 mm long, middle one 0.5 mm wide, lateral ones somewhat narrower, all rounded; stamens reaching almost to tip of upper corolla lip, filaments adhering to dorsal portion of tube to a distance of about 15 mm, anthers oblong, 2.5 mm long. Capsule ovoid, 6 x 2.5 x 1 mm, sides flattened, basal portion solid, 1.5 mm long, hirtellous, retinacula about 1 mm long, subacute at tip; seeds 2, reddish-brown, flattened, oval, 2 x 1.5 mm, surface roughened.
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