Shrub, sometimes in form of ± dense cushions, 15-50(-60, very rarely up to 120) cm; branches prostrate or erect, generally slender, virgate, youngest parts reddish brown, subterete, minutely greyish pubescent, older parts greyish corticate. Leaves with a distinct „winter green-oil" fragrance, obovate-oblong or oblanceolate, sometimes ellip-tic-oblong, apex subobtuse, base cuneate, subcoriaceous, rather dull, glabrous, though laxly punctate beneath, regularly glandular-crenate, (0.8-)1-2(-4) by 0.3-0.6(-1.2) cm, midrib slightly impressed above, prominent beneath, nerves in 3-4 ascendent pairs somewhat sunken above, slightly raised beneath, reticulation lax and not much conspicuous; petiole 0.5-1.5(-2) mm. Raceme in specimens from Luzon and the summit area of Mt Kinabalu from the uppermost axil (pseudoterminal) and 2-4-flowered, in specimens from lower places on Mt Kinabalu also with racemes from each of the upper 2-3(-5) axils and thus forming a panicle. Rachis (1-)1.5-2.5(-4) cm, finely pubescent, with several small basal bracts. Pedicels 3-5 mm, with some stalked glands in the upper part, otherwise finely pubescent or glabrous. Bract ovate-elliptic, small. Bracteoles broad-lanceolate, inserted at some distance from the calyx, whether or not ciliolate and glandular-fimbriate, suffused with red. Calyx obconical, glabrous, greenish or pink, 2.5 mm, lobes ovate-triangular, obtuse, whether or not ciliolate, c. 1.5 mm. Corolla ovoid-urceolate, c. 5 by 3.5 mm, glabrous, fragrant, white or cream with purple limb, or pink. Filaments papillose, 2 mm; anthers c. 15. mm, the cells divergently biaristate (0.8 mm). Disk dark green, rather obscure. Ovary pubescent; style pale green, glabrous, 3 mm. Fruit 5-9(-10) by 6-9 mm, white or pink, rarely purple, berrylike, the fleshy sepals including a small, thin-coriaceous, white or brownish capsule. Seeds brownish, 0.7 mm.
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Shrubs prostrate or erect, 10–15(–30) cm tall, much branched. Twigs ?terete, puberulous. Leaves scattered; petiole 0.5–1.5 mm, glabrous; leaf blade elliptic-oblong, oblanceolate, or oblong, 8–11(–15) × 3–7 mm, thickly papery or subleathery, abaxially punctate, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 2 or 3 pairs, fine veins inconspicuous on both surfaces or slightly raised abaxially, base cuneate, margin slightly recurved, sparsely serrate, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences pseudoterminal, racemose, ca. 2 cm, 3–10-flowered, densely puberulous and sparsely glandular pubescent; bracts broadly ovate, ca. 1 mm, glabrous. Pedicel 2–3(–9) mm; bracteoles 2, just above middle, lanceolate, ca. 1.5 mm, glabrous. Calyx lobes ovate-triangular, ca. 2.5 mm, glabrous, apex acute. Corolla white, sometimes tinged red to pink, ovoid-tubular, 4–5 mm, abaxially glabrous; lobes minute. Filaments glabrous; anthers with thecae 1-or 2-recurved-awned. Ovary sericeous. Calyx at fruiting milky whitish, succulent; capsule ca. 6 mm in diam. Fl. May–Jun(–Nov), fr. Jul–Aug(–Nov). 2n = 22.
On Mt Kinabalu a low shrub in subsum-mit low forest, becoming dwarfish in crevices and among wind swept granite rocks on the summit plateau, from 3350-4000 m, a more stiff and erect shrub (up to 1.2 m) with larger leaves (1.5-4 by 0.7-1.2 cm) and richer inflorescences (from more numerous upper axils) and purple fruits on exposed crest among bracken and grasses of the east slope at 2440-2750 m; in Luzon a prostrate, not rarely cushion-like low shrublet in +-open places along pine-forest edges, or on bogs, not rarely on artificial talud along road, 1800-2900 m. Fl. fr. Jan.-Dec.
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