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Leaves in whorls of 3–4 (rarely 5–6); blades 4.5–15 × 1.8–9 cm, elliptic to obovate, rounded to very obscurely rounded-acuminate or bluntly acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, rather thicker than in other species, glabrous, the venation sometimes reddish when dry and in life; petiole rather thick, 3–20 mm long; stipules with a short broad base 1.5–2 mm long, densely pilose within, and with a subulate appendage 3.5 mm long.
Corolla distinctly acuminate in bud; tube deep red, 14–27 × (4)6–8 mm, cylindrical and straight, glabrous inside and out, or ± hairy inside; lobes 6–9, cream, buff or yellow within, 8–14 × 3–3.5 mm, oblong-lanceolate, with a thick apical appendage 1–2 mm long.
Suffrutex 0.3–1.5 m tall, from a thick woody rootstock; stems several, reddish or purplish, angular or rounded, finely ridged (when dry), glabrous.
Inflorescences glabrous, 1–3-flowered; peduncle red, 5–11 mm long, or up to 25 mm long in solitary flowers; pedicels 3–23 mm long.
A herb. It grows 30-150 cm tall. The leaves are in rings of 3-4. There are 1-3 flowers in a group.
Pollen presenter large, 4.5–6 × 3–4 mm, broadly obconic-coroniform, c. 6–9-ridged or lobed.
Fruits black, fleshy, 12–15 mm in diameter, ± globose or obovoid, containing 6–9 pyrenes.
Calyx red; tube 4–5 mm long, the limb rim-like, truncate, about 1.5 mm long.
Style 28–34 mm long.
Ovary 6–8-locular.
