Suffrutex, appearing annual but often persisting for a few years, flowering early in first year, stems erect, branching from near base, branches ascending or spreading-ascending; stems, branches, petioles and peduncles usually pubescent with short, patent, gland-tipped hairs, sometimes intermixed with distinct stellate hairs or stellate only and occasionally long, pointed, spreading hairs present as well, rarely some branchlets glabrescent. Stipules from about 1 mm to 2.5 mm long, linear-acute to subulate, sparsely stellate-pubescent. Leaves petiolate; blade variable, from more or less linear, narrowing slightly to base and apex, to oblong-elliptic, 6-40 mm long, 1-12 mm broad, usually sparsely stellate-pubescent, glabrescent, or gland-tipped hairs and bulbous-based hairs present, margins entire or distinctly toothed, apex acute or broad and rounded; petiole 1-12 mm long. Inflorescence of 1-flowered cymes, solitary in axils of leaves; peduncle 10-35 mm long, hardly distinguishable from the pedicels; pedicels 3.7 mm long, becoming cernuous; bracteoles aborted. Calyx persistent, stellate-pubescent, becoming translucent with age, sparsely pubescent with gland-tipped hairs, lobed to about, or just below midway, about 4.5 mm long. Petals “blood-red”, “pale red”, “pink”, “deep orange”, “crimson”, “purple”, mostly appearing deep violet in pressed specimens, about 5-12 mm long, margin slightly inrolled on claw only, 4-6 mm broad near apex, narrowing slightly to the base. Stamens with obovate, hyaline filaments, pubescence obscure on shoulders; anthers erect, 4-8 mm long, overlapping the filament for about 1 mm, acute, sparsely ciliate. Ovary stipitate (stipe about 1.5 mm long), sparsely pubescent with gland-tipped hairs and longer hairs along the sutures and a few stellate hairs inter-mixed or stellate-pubescent with a few gland-tipped hairs intermixed, very shortly horned. Capsules 5-12 mm long, 4-7 mm broad, pubescent with short gland-tipped hairs and longer acute hairs on the sutures and a few stellate hairs present or predominantly stellate-pubescent with a few gland-tipped hairs present; horns usually under 2 mm long, spreading, stipe about 2 mm long. Seeds reniform, corrugated and finely granular with tubercles developing.
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Bi-or triennial herb, up to 0.3 m high; gland-tipped hairs sometimes obvious. Leaves shortly petiolate; blade oblong, margins toothed, upper and lower surfaces with glabrescent hairs. Flowers: in 1-flowered cymes, solitary in axils of leaves, or in short, not very distinct pseudoracemes; calyx lobed to ± or just below midway, ± 4.5 mm long; petals pink to red, orange or purple; Oct.-Jun.
Bi-or triennial suffrutex, up to 1 m high. Gland-tipped hairs sometimes obvious. Inflorescence with flowers axillary or in short, not very distinct pseudoracemes. Inflorescences: 1-flowered cymes, solitary, in axils of leaves. Petals usually shorter than 10 mm. Capsule apiculate or shortly horned at apex of sutures. Flowers pink to red, orange or purple.
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