Erect to decumbent aromatic (when crushed) perennial or shrubby herb or shrub from woody rootstock, to 1.5(2) m tall; young stems glabrous to strigose-pubescent-or sericeous-pubescent with broad shiny sometimes curly hairs. Leaves subglabrous to sparsely sericeous-pubescent with broad shiny hairs, densest along veins below, above uniformly; lamina ovate to elliptic or slightly obovate, largest (2.5)4-13 x 1.3-5(6) cm; apex drawn into an acute to acuminate tip; base attenuate to cuneate with a ± distinct petiole to 1(2) cm; margin crenate to dentate, rarely subentire. Flowers in few-to many-flowered condensed axillary cymes, upwards gradually with fewer flowers, often with some solitary flowers near apex; outer bracts leafy, to 2.5(3.5) x 1.5 cm; inner bracts to 1.5 cm, narrowed above a scarious base, with widened apical part, scattered to dense broad shiny hairs along midrib and glabrous to sericeous or puberulent lamina, ciliate; bracteoles to 1 cm, lanceolate, acute to acuminate. Calyx 6-9(11 in fruit) mm long, indumentum as bracts; lobes narrowly triangular, acuminate to cuspidate, dorsal usually slightly longer, dorsal and lateral fused ± 2/3 up, ventral 1-2 mm higher. Corolla 8-12 mm long, white or creamy white with 2 purple spots on lower lip, minutely sericeous-puberulent; tube 6-7 mm long of which expanded part is 1-2 mm, lips 2-6 mm; lobes 1-2 mm wide, oblong, truncate to refuse; palate indistinctly pleated, without long stiff hairs, rarely with a few short stubby hairs. Filaments 2-4 mm long, a few hairs near base, glabrous upwards; anthers c.1 mm long, rounded at both ends, connective glabrous. Style with upwardly directed hairs; stigma lobes subequal. Capsule 6-9 mm long, obovoid. Seeds c.4 mm long.
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An erect branched herb. The stems are hairs and four sided. They can be 1.2 m long. They are often tangled and forma thicket. The leaves are opposite and can have teeth towards the tip. They are 8 cm long by 4 cm wide. The flowers are white with purple marks. The flowers occur in groups along the stem. The flowers have pale green bracts around them. The fruit is a 2 sided capsule. It is 8 mm long and flattened. It contains round seeds.
Small shrub, up to 500 mm tall. Leaves 35-70 mm long. Corolla ± 8 mm long. Calyx 4-fid nearly to base, 2 anticous segments connate nearly to tip into 1 obovate-elliptic piece, 3 others equally long. Flowers white or cream, sometimes with purple spots or streaks.
It is a tropical plant. It grows in damp shady places. It grows in dry rocky woodland between 300-1,000 m above sea level. In Tanzania it grows between 900-1,400 m above sea level. It can grow in arid areas and semi-desert.
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A common thicket-forming species in Acacia-Commiphora bushland at elevations from 600-1,700 metres. The plant seems hardly ever to be eaten by cattle, and is therefore favoured by slight to moderate overgrazing.
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