Shrubs, deciduous, to 2 m tall, sometimes dwarf and cushionlike. Winter buds with several pairs of scales, lowest pair nearly surrounding whole bud. Branches with persistent petiole bases, densely puberulent, later glabrous to densely setose-hairy and with mixed glandular hairs. Petiole 1.5-5 mm; leaf blade ovate or elliptic to oblong, 0.6-4.5 × 0.4-2.5 cm, both surfaces densely adpressed setose to glabrous, sometimes scattered verrucose and with mixed glandular hairs, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin often ciliate, apex obtuse or acute to acuminate. Inflorescences axillary paired flowers and at base of new shoots; flowers opening early in season; peduncles 2-15 mm, usually puberulent and glandular hairy; bracts usually lanceolate, sometimes ovate, 5-12 mm, pubescent, outside glandular hairy and adpressed hairy, inside glandular hairy, margin ciliate; bracteoles absent. Neighboring 2 ovaries free, glabrous or glandular hairy. Calyx ca. 1 mm, subtruncate to shallowly lobed, sometimes sparsely long ciliate. Corolla bilabiate, yellow, 1.5-2 cm; tube shallowly to deeply gibbous toward base, outside sparsely spreading hairy, inside puberulent; lower lip slightly recurved; upper lip 4-lobed to middle. Stamens and style subequaling corolla, exserted; style sparsely stiff hairy at base. Berries red, sometimes pruinose, oblanceolate-ovoid, 5-8 mm; seeds yellowish brown, oblong or ellipsoid, 2.5-3 mm, smooth. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Jul-Aug.
Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs stratification.
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