Weakly branched annual or? perennial herb, generally 30–80 cm. tall; stems green or reddish, rooting at the lower nodes, usually rather densely pubescent at the apices but gradually glabrescent with age.. Leaves spirally arranged, subopposite or in verticils of 3–4 (but then the lower leaves always spirally arranged), sessile, subsessile or the lower leaves with a petiole 0.2–2(–3.2) cm. long; lamina ovate to elliptic-lanceolate or narrowly oblanceolate, 2–9.7 cm. long, 1.3–5.6 cm. broad, the base cuneate to somewhat attenuate, the apex acute to shortly acuminate, sparsely pubescent above, more densely so beneath, especially along the midrib and lateral veins; lateral veins 5–11 pairs; margin serrate to crenate-denticulate.. Flowers axillary, solitary or in fascicles of 2–3, epedunculate or very occasionally with a very short peduncle ± 1–2 mm. long; flowers pink to purplish, the lateral united petals with a dark magenta spot towards the base, the spur whitish.. Bracts subulate, 1.5–5 mm. long, pubescent, inconspicuous.. Pedicels 2.2–5.2 cm. long, slender, usually pubescent.. Lateral sepals linear-lanceolate, 4–5 mm. long, 1–2 mm. broad, acute or shortly acuminate, pubescent.. Lower sepal navicular, 7–10 mm. long, 3.5–5 mm. deep, abruptly constricted into a 14–20(–25) mm. long curved filiform spur, pubescent.. Dorsal petal suborbicular, 8–11 mm. long, 12–16 mm. broad, emarginate, dorsally with a narrow crest terminating in a short acute point, pubescent on the crest.. Lateral united petals 15–21 mm. long; upper petal of each pair ± ovate or suborbicular to oblong, 9–12 mm. long, 7–9 mm. broad, entire; lower petal of each pair transversely oblong or suborbicular, 6–9 mm. long, 7–10 mm. broad, distally drawn out in a 4–6 × 2–3.5 mm. ligulate appendage.. Ovary usually finely pubescent.. Fruit narrowly fusiform, 14–23 mm. long, 2–4 mm. broad, usually but not always pubescent.. Fig. 3/33, p. 6.
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