Small shrubs, much branched, 20-40 cm tall; branches slightly stout, often twisted, dark gray, with thin cracks; branchlets slender and straight, sometimes acicular, gray, puberulent. Petiole short or leaves subsessile; leaf blade thickly papery, oblong to elliptic, sometimes broadly elliptic, 3-10 × 2-5 mm, both surfaces subglabrous, slightly shiny adaxially, base cuneate or acuminate, margins often slightly revolute, apex acute or slightly obtuse; midrib prominent abaxially, lateral veins very inconspicuous; stipules triangular-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, slightly longer than petioles, denticulate or entire, ciliate, apiculate. Flowers subsessile, 1-3 fascicled on tips of branches or in axil near tips of branches; bracteoles 2, 1/2-2/3 connate, free part bilabiate, 3-4 mm, transparent, lobes sparsely ciliate, caudate-acuminate at apex. Calyx 2-2.5 mm; lobes 5, oblong-lanceolate, subequal to calyx tube in length or slightly shorter, ciliate, shortly acuminate. Corolla purplish red, fragrant, funnelform, 11-14 mm, puberulent outside, villous inside; lobes 4 or 5, ovate-lanceolate, ca. 3 mm. Stamens 4 or 5, inserted above throat of corolla tube; anthers linear, slightly exserted. Style ca. 1/2 length of corolla tube; stigmas 3, filiform. Fruit 3-3.5 mm; seeds surrounded by reticulate aril free from testa. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.
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