Plant 1–5 m. tall in flower, erect, glabrous.. Rosette-leaves of non-flowering plant subsessile, lanceolate, up to 30–50 cm. long and 9 cm. wide, acute or acuminate at the apex, narrowing below into a petiole-like base; margin finely serrate; venation protruding beneath with arched lateral veins.. Inflorescence branched, with usually many axillary lax-flowered racemes on leafy peduncles; pedicels 15–30 mm. long, spreading; upper bracts linear to lanceolate and 3–4 cm. long, lower bracts lanceolate and up to 9–14 cm. long; bracteoles inserted near the middle or on the lower half of the pedicel, linear, 1–4 mm. long.. Hypanthium oblong-obovoid, 10-nerved, glabrous.. Calyx-lobes linear, 14–22 mm. long, glabrous, entire.. Corolla 20–30 mm. long, pink to lilac-blue, split to the base on the back, ± papillose-pubescent outside and pubescent on the inside of the tube; two lateral petals linear, united with middle petals below; three middle petals first united but soon splitting up at the apex into 3 ± 6 mm. long lobes.. Filaments connate almost to the base and forming a firm tube, papillose towards the base, free from corolla.. Anther-tube ± 5 mm. long, glabrous on the back, the 2 lower anthers barbate at the apex.. Ovary inferior.. Capsules pendulous, oblong or subglobose, 15–25 mm. long, without distinct valves at the apex, indehiscent.. Seeds broadly elliptic in outline, somewhat compressed, not winged, ± 0.7 mm. long, finely striate, brown.
Home