Annual erect sparsely branched or unbranched herb 10–80 cm. tall, the stems glabrous or sparsely scabridulous with minute white papillae.. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 2–10.5 cm. long, 0.7–9 mm. wide, tapering, acute or apiculate at the apex, narrowed to the base, minutely scabridulous above particularly near the margins, otherwise glabrous; stipule-sheath 1–1.5(–2) mm. long, adnate to the leaf-base, produced into (1–)2 closely adpressed fimbriae 0.5–3 mm. long.. Inflorescences corymbose or paniculate, often joined to form 2 wide corymbs up to 7 cm. wide; peduncle 0–7 cm. long; pedicels mostly very short, 0(–5) mm. long, finely scabridulous-papillate.. Calyx-tube ovoid, 1–1.5 mm. long, papillate; lobes subulate, 1–2 mm. long, scabridulous.. Corolla red, crimson-pink or less often rose or white, glabrous or very slightly scabridulous outside; tube narrowly cylindrical, 1.2–1.7 cm. long, the widened part 4–5 mm. long, 0.9–1.5 mm. wide; lobes elliptic, 0.45–1.1 cm. long, 2.5–7 mm. wide, acute and distinctly mucronate, the terminal mucro up to 1–2 mm. long, very distinct in the bud.. Style 2.5–4.5 mm. long; stigma-lobes 1.5 mm. long.. Capsule subglobose, often compressed or depressed, 2–4.5 mm. long, 3–4(–5) mm. in diameter, glabrous; beak noticeably raised at dehiscence.. Seeds dark brown, angular, subconic, 0.5–0.8 mm. long, margined.. Fig. 29.
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An annual herb. It is slender and grows 30-80 cm high. The leaves are long and narrow. They are 2-11 cm long by 1-9 mm wide. They taper to the tip. The flowers are in groups and are pink.
Slender erect herb 1 ft. or more high
It is a tropical plant. It grows in the savannah in West Africa. It grows between 1,000-1,400 m above sea level.
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In savanna and as a weed of cultivation.
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