Flowers 5-merous, in terminal pyramidal lax to somewhat dense panicles up to 20 cm. long; pedicels 2–10 mm. long; bracts 14–18 x 12–18 mm., broadly ovate, concave, emarginate, purple, scarious, caducous.
Sepals 6–7 x 2–3 mm., ovate-oblong, truncate, emarginate or bilobed at the apex, very thin, purplish, caducous; intersepalar segmencs absent.
Fructiferous receptacle 8–9 x 5·5–7 mm., urceolate, contracted above the capsule, usually very dark purple. Capsule subspherical.
Stems numerous, erect, upright, unbranched, 4-gonous or slightly 4-winged, densely leafy, pale green to reddish.
Shorter stamens: anthers c. 6 mm. long; pedoconnective c. 1 mm. long.
Petals c. 2 x 1·6 cm., obovate, bright pink to purplish-violet.
Longer stamens: anthers 9–10 mm.; pedoconnective 9–11 mm. long.
Receptacle 8–9 x 4–5 mm., cylindric, dark red or purple.
A perennial herb, 0·3–1·0 m. high, glabrous throughout.
Seeds minutely tuberculate.