Glabrous. Leaves opposite; lamina narrowly ovate to ovate, 9-20 by 3.5-11 cm, shortly cuneate to slightly cordate at the base to a petiole 10-30 mm long, attenuate or acuminate and usually acute at the apex, dull on both sides or slightly lustrous above; venation pinnate with the midrib and the main laterals visible on both sides and the midrib prominent below. Inflorescencess at the nodes, a sessile involucrate capitate spike of usually 2 decussate pairs of flowers; involucre 50-85 mm long, red, comprising 6-10 pairs of bracts, the upper ones oblong, keeled, acute, very slightly and finely undulate near the apex; floral axis 4-8 mm long; lateral bracts enclosing the flowers 15-30 mm long, keeled, acute. Corolla in mature bud 6-merous, 60—115(—130) mm long, widened upwards for three fourths its length, weakly winged below the neck, clavate acute to obtuse at the apex, yellow to red, ribbed with yellow to red; tube in the open flower 45—90 mm long, with 1 or 2 deeper splits on one side, with the lobes reflexed 3-6 mm higher. Anther 5-8 mm long, slightly spurred at the base, acute, slightly shorter to slightly longer than the free part of the filament. Fig. 32b, c.
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