Pentas zanzibarica Vatke

Herb or shrubby herb or rarely a shrub 0.3–2.6 m. tall, with 1–2(–6) stems from a somewhat woody rootstock; stems greenish or purple tinged, mostly strict and unbranched, often densely hairy above.. Leaf-blades lanceolate to ovate or elliptic, (2.8–)4–14.5 cm. long, (0.5–)1.4–5.8 cm. wide, acute at the apex, cuneate at the base, hairy on both surfaces; petiole 0–1 cm. long; stipules with ± 7 setae 4–9(–14) mm. long from a short base.. Inflorescences lax or somewhat globose, terminal and axillary, 2–6.5 cm. across; peduncles 0–15 cm. long; bracts 6 cm. long.. Flowers white, pink or mostly lilac, bluish mauve or in one variety bright crimson-red.. Calyx-tube hairy, 1–1.3 mm. long, 1–1.5 mm. wide; lobes unequal, 1–9 mm. long, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) mm. wide.. Long-styled flowers; corolla-tube (4–)5–9(–11) mm. long, hairy; lobes oblong-elliptic, 1.5–5.5(–6.5) mm. long, 0.8–2.7(–3) mm. wide; style exserted 0.5–5.5 mm.; stigma-lobes 1.5–2.5 mm. long; stamens completely included; throat densely hairy.. Short-styled flowers very similar, the anthers exserted 2–3 mm. and style and stigma completely enclosed.. Capsule pubescent, (2–)3–4(–5.5) mm. long and wide, with beak 1–2 mm. tall.