Glabrous. Leaves opposite; lamina elliptic or ovate, 5-8 by 3-6 cm, cuneate to truncate at the base to a petiole 10-20 mm long, obtuse or rounded at the apex, slightly lustrous above or dull on both sides; venation pinnate with the midrib distinct above and raised and dark coloured below and the main laterals distinct on both sides or obscure below. Inflorescences at the nodes, a sessile involucrate capitate spike of 1 or 2 decussate pairs of flowers; involucre 20-25 mm long, comprising 8-10 pairs of bracts, the upper ones elliptic, obtuse, smooth except for the weakly keeled upper part, green below and brown above; floral axis c. 2.5 mm long; lateral bracts enclosing the flowers c. 12 mm long, keeled, broadly acute. Corolla in mature bud 6-merous, c. 50 mm long, slender in the lower 6-7 mm, with deflexed spurs inside forming a nectar chamber, widened above, winged just above the middle, clavate above a neck and acute at the apex, red, usually streaked with yellow; tube in the open flower 35-40 mm long, more deeply split on one side, with the lobes reflexed slightly higher. Anther 3-3.5 mm long, acute, about two thirds as long as the free part of the filament.
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