Herbs, perennial, or subshrubs, to 2(–4) m, herbage densely stellate-tomentulose throughout. Stems sometimes also with longer, stiff, simple hairs, fine, curved hairs absent or obscured. Leaves: stipules linear, 3–10 mm; petiole 2/3 to equaling blade, shorter in inflorescence, fine, curved hairs absent or obscured adaxially; blade somewhat discolorous, broadly to transversely ovate, unlobed or shallowly 3(–5)-lobed, rarely proximalmost deeply 5–7-lobed, mostly 6.5–11 × 6–12 cm, base cordate, often deeply so, margins unevenly serrate or crenate-serrate, apex broadly acute to short-acuminate, lobes broadly triangular, surfaces stellate-tomentulose, slitlike nectary present abaxially at or near base of midvein. Inflorescences solitary flowers in axils of distal leaves, sometimes appearing racemose by reduction of subtending leaves. Pedicels jointed at bases, to 2.5 cm, shorter than subtending petioles; involucellar bractlets 9–12, sometimes wide-spreading, terete, 0.8–1.6 cm, margins minutely pubescent, setose, apex 2-fid or appendaged, sometimes obscurely so. Flowers horizontal or declinate; calyx divided 1/2–2/3 length, campanulate, 1.5–2.4 cm, enlarging in fruit, lobes triangular, with 3 prominent ribs, 2 marginal, 1 medial, medial bearing conspicuous nectary, apices acute or acuminate, variously invested with both minute, stellate hairs and hispid with much larger, simple or stellate, pustular-based hairs, latter often largely confined to veins; corolla narrowly funnelform, petals pink, maroon at base, obliquely obovate, 5.5–9.5 × 2.5–4.5 cm, margins entire to repand or crenate, finely hairy abaxially where exposed in bud; staminal column straight, maroon, 3–4.5 cm, bearing filaments ± throughout, free portion of filaments not secund, 0.5–1.5 mm; pollen maroon; styles dark maroon, 1–3 mm; stigmas dark maroon. Capsules brown, ovoid, 2–2.5 cm, apex acute and apiculate or acuminate, surface obscured by pale yellowish, simple, dense, antrorsely appressed hairs. Seeds olivaceous brown to reddish or purplish brown, angulately reniform-ovoid, 2.8–3.8 mm, glabrous. 2n = 72.
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Suffrutex herb 1-2 m high, the stem puberulus to velutinous with minute stellate hairs and sometimes with short prickle-like simple hairs. Leaves with the petiole 3-8 cm long, stellate-velutinous, the stipules subulate-filiform; blade broadly ovate, subcircular or depressed ovate, sometimes 3-angulate or shallowly 3(-5)-lobed, cordate at the base, obtuse to acuminate at the apex, irregularly dentate' or denticu-late at the margin, usually 8-12 cm long and wide, 5-to 9-palminerved, somewhat scabridulous and stellate-puberulus above, stellate-velutinous to stellate-puberulus, with the venation slightly prominent and with an oblong gland near the base of the midrib beneath. Flowers solitary in the upper leaf axils, the pedicel stout, articulated, 1-3 cm long, stellate-velutinous and sometimes hispid with long, simple to stellate, pustular-based hairs; epicalyx of 10-14 bractlets, these narrowly linear, unequally bifurcate at the apex, 8-12 mm long, minutely stellate-velutinous and sometimes hispid with long, simple to stellate, pustular-based hairs, slightly accres-cent; calyx cupuliform, lobed to about the middle, 15-20 mm long, accrescent, minutely stellate-velutinous, the lobes deltoid-oblong, acuminate, prominently 3-nerved, the veins mostly hispid with long, simple to stellate, pustular-based hairs, the lateral veins very close to the margin (thickened margin), the midvein of each lobe with an oblong gland; petals cuneate-obovate, rounded at the apex, 6-9 cm long, rose-purple with a darker center; staminal tube ca 1/2 as long as the corolla, antheriferous throughout; style branches exceeding the staminal tube, the stigmas hirtellous. Capsule surrounded by and slightly shorter than the accrescent calyx, broadly oblong-ovoid, acuminate and mucronulate, 22-25 mm long, the mucro ca 2 mm long, the valves minutely stellate-velutinous and sericeous with long, simple, white hairs; seeds subrotund-reniform-angulate, ca 3 mm long, glabrous.
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