Suffrutex, about 50-60 cm tall, erect, much branched in upper half, branchlets densely stellate-tomentose with interspersed minute gland-tipped hairs, tomentum smooth, canescent with stellate hairs of varying lengths, mostly short, radiating from or grouped on a central scale (some scales readily becoming detached). Stipules 5-10 mm long, 1-5 mm broad at base, large ones found towards apices of branchlets and there ovate-acuminate from a broad clasping base or semi-ovate and decurrent on branchlets, stellate-tomentose on both sides, hairs mostly short but sometimes long on margins, sometimes upper stipules glabrescent on inner face, in lower parts of plant stipules smaller, narrowly ovate-acuminate to subulate, about 5 mm long. Leaves petioled; blade oblong to ovate-oblong, 1, 5-4 cm long, 0.5-2 cm broad, sometimes larger, stellate-tomentose on both surfaces, rounded at base and apex, crenate on margins, young leaves corrugated, nerves impressed above, prominent beneath; petiole stellate-tomentose, up to about 2 cm long. Inflorescence of 2-to 3-flowered cymes arranged in lax, racemose or paniculate cymes at apices of branches and branchlets and occasionally in axils of upper leaves, branches of panicle glabrescent with sparse, stellate hairs and scattered gland-tipped hairs, shiny brown in contrast to the canescent branchlets which they terminate; peduncles about 15 mm long, glabrescent; pedicels up to 5 mm long, remaining tomentose; bracts 5-10 mm long, 1-5 mm broad at base, ovate-acuminate to narrowly lanceolate; bracteoles smaller, narrowly lanceolate, linear or subulate. Calyx about 8 mm long, subinflated, not narrowed at mouth, subglobose or campanulate, sometimes suffused with pink in parts, lobed to about middle, stellate-pubescent without, hairs longer and softer at base of calyx and on margins of lobes. Petals “golden yellow” or “orange-yellow”, turning orange-red at maturity, about 11 mm long, glabrous, oblong to oblong-globose in the upper half, narrowed into a fairly short and wide waist (about 2 mm wide) and produced below into a rather wide claw with infolded margins. Stamens about 7 mm long; filaments hyaline, obovate, microscopically and sparsely stellate on the shoulders; anthers overlapping filaments at base, ciliate. Ovary about 5 mm long, 5-lobed, densely stellate-pubescent, the hairs longer at apex; styles about 5 mm long; stipe up to 1 mm long. Capsule about 10 cm long, hidden by persistent petals and calyx, stellate-pubescent, 5-lobed, lobes rounded at apex.
More
Erect, much-branched subshrub, up to 600 mm tall, covered with greyish stellate pubescence. Leaves ovate-oblong, rounded at base and apex, corrugated when young, nerves prominent beneath. Flowers 2 or 3 at tips of slender, often dark, branches and occasionally in upper leaf axils, golden yellow, turning orange-red when old, calyx ± inflated, sometimes suffused with pink.
Home