Shrub, 1-2 m tall. Branches puberulous when young, soon glabrous, constricted and easily broken just above nodes, bark thin and usually striate. Petiole 2-6 cm long, glabrous; blade elliptic to oblong-obovate, 18-25 x 6-9 cm, apically acuminate, often abruptly so, when not elliptic, then narrowed from above middle to an acute or obtuse base, margin entire or undulate. Inflorescence a terminal spike, 9-22 cm long, with conspicuous green bracts and red flowers; peduncle 1-3 cm long; bracts green, ovate to lanceolate, 15-25 x 4-9 mm, lower bracts decussate, upper ones ternate and quaternate, narrower, all apically acute or subacuminate, apiculate, abruptly narrowed to a short-winged base, ± puberulent, usually glandular, margins and primary vein short-pubescent; bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 5 x 5 mm, puberulous. Flowers sessile or subsessile; calyx campanulate, 5.5-6 mm long, slightly irregular, tube 1 mm long, lobes lanceolate, equal, 5 x 0.5 mm, sparingly and inconspicuously puberulent; corolla bright red, 50-70 mm long, rather sparingly pubescent without with minute, spreading trichomes (hirtellous), 4 mm wide at base, narrowed to 3 mm above ovary, 7-10 mm wide at throat, upper lip erect, 20-25 mm long, emarginate, lobes 1 x 0.5 mm, lower lip oblong, 17-20 x 4-5 mm, obtuse; filaments 55 mm long, white pubescent, densely so below, sparingly so above, staminodes when present minute, vestigial; ovary and style glabrous. Capsule not seen.
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