Woody herb or shrub 1–2.5 m. high; branchlets 4-angled, densely setose at first, becoming ± strigose.. Leaf-lamina ovate, oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 3–11.5 cm. long, 1.2–5 cm. wide, apex obtuse to acute, base truncate to subcordate, densely strigose when young, becoming strigose with lower half of hairs adnate to the lamina; midrib and 2–3 pairs of longitudinal nerves impressed above, prominent beneath; petiole 2–10 mm. long.. Inflorescence of terminal paniculate cymes; flowers 5-merous, subsessile; bracts caducous, ovate, 10 mm. long, 8 mm. wide, sericeous.. Calyx-tube (fig. 12/2, p. 33) campanulate, 9–10 mm. long, 5–6 mm. in diameter, densely covered with oblong to obtriangular setose scales; lobes obliquely oblong, 10 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, sericeous; intersepalar appendages oblong-spathulate, 3 mm. long, 1.5 mm. wide, setose at the apex, alternating with oblong-ovate appendages 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide.. Petals magenta to purple, obovate, 30–40 mm. long, 20–30 mm. wide.. Stamens 10, markedly unequal; 5 large stamens with anthers 13 mm. long, connective produced 17–24 mm., bilobed appendage ± 1.5 mm. long, filament ± 8–15 mm. long; 5 short stamens with anthers 8–11 mm. long, connective produced 5 mm., bilobed appendage 1 mm. long, filament ± 7 mm. long.. Fruiting calyx enlarging to 13 mm. long, 8 mm. in diameter; setose apex of capsule shortly exserted.
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Flowers about 21/2 in. diam., reddish-violet or deep mauve-purple.