Glabrous. Leaves opposite; lamina narrowly ovate to elliptic, sometimes falcate, 5-8 by 1-3 cm, cuneate to attenuate at the base to an obscure petiole 1-7 mm long, attenuate and rounded at the apex, dull on both sides; venation pinnate with the midrib and the main laterals visible on both sides and the midrib prominent below. Inflorescencess at the nodes, an involucrate capitate spike of usually 2 decussate pairs of flowers on a peduncle 1-2 mm long; involucre 13-18 mm long, comprising 5 or 6 pairs of bracts, the upper ones broadly elliptic, smooth, rounded, deciduous at anthesis; floral axis 0.5-1 mm long; lateral bracts enclosing the flowers vestigial. Corolla in mature bud 5-or 6-merous, 22-33 mm long, gradually widened upwards, slightly narrowed above the middle to a neck, weakly clavate, angular and obtuse at the apex, red; tube in the open flower variable, 3.5-20 mm long, more deeply split on one side, with the lobes reflexed 3-20 mm higher. Anther 3.5-5.5 mm long, acute, 1-4 times as long as the free part of the filament.
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