Herbs, perennial, erect, to 70 cm tall; stems 4-angled and/or sulcate, angles becoming sharp and thickened or narrowly winged, sparsely to densely puberulent or hispidulous to glabrescent. Leaves opposite or rarely ternate at 1 or 2 nodes, subsessile to petiolate; petiole to 2.5 mm, puberulent to glabrescent; blade drying papery, ovate-oblong, oblong-lanceolate, ovate, lanceolate, or elliptic, 1.5-7.5 × 0.4-3.8 cm, both surfaces sparsely to densely puberulent, hispidulous, or pilosulous, base acute to rounded and usually shortly decurrent, apex acute to acuminate; secondary veins 4 or 5 pairs; stipules interpetiolar, triangular to narrowly triangular, 2-3.5 mm, moderately to densely pilosulous, pilosulous, or puberulent, acute, aristate, or usually laciniate or with 2-5 linear lobes or bristles 0.5-2 mm. Inflorescences terminal and axillary in axils of uppermost leaves, capitate or glomerulate, 8-15 mm in diam., globose, many flowered, sessile; bracts linear to lanceolate, 0.5-2 mm. Flowers sessile or subsessile, distylous. Calyx moderately to densely pilosulous to hispidulous; hypanthium portion subglobose to obconic, ca. 1 mm; limb lobed essentially to base; lobes narrowly triangular, 2.5-4 mm, ciliolate. Corolla white or purple, funnelform or tubular-funnelform, outside puberulent or pilosulous at least on lobes; tube 3-3.5 mm, tomentose in throat; lobes oblong-lanceolate, 1.5-2 mm. Anthers exserted or included, 0.8-1 mm. Stigma 0.3-1 mm, included or exserted. Fruit capsular, subglobose to broadly ovoid, 1.5-2 × 1.8-2 mm, often somewhat compressed, septicidally dehiscent then loculicidal, with stipes or pedicels to 1 mm; seeds several, pale brown, angled. Fl. and fr. Apr-Sep.
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