Much-branched shrub or dwarf tree, 1½-2½ m. Twigs covered with a persistent indument of short, thickish ferrugineous hairs; internodes up to c. 1½ cm. Leaves spirally arranged, herbaceous, obovate to spathulate, entire, 3-25 by 2-10 mm, glabrous, apex broadly cuneate with a blunt tip, base decurrent, cuneate; nerves 3-4 pairs, indistinct above, not prominent on either surface; petiole c. 1-2 mm below the decurrent leaf base. Flowers solitary, axillary, pendent, c. 8 mm. Pedicels ferrugineous-hairy, c. 4 mm. Bracts triangular, very narrow, acute, c. 2 mm. Sepals free, narrow-oblong, acute, c. 2 by ¾-1 mm, yellowish green with a purple top. Petals free though cohering, ligulate, narrowing towards the rounded tip, c. 7-8 by 2 mm, pink or purplish especially at the top. Stamens sagittiform, filaments narrowing towards the anthers, c. 2.5 mm; anthers c. 1 by 0.5 mm. Ovary depressed-ellipsoid, glabrous, c. 3 by 2 mm; style glabrous, c. 1 mm; stigma capitate. Fruit 2-valved, ellipsoid, c. 1.5 by 1 cm; valves coriaceous, orange-yellow to brown, rather thin; placentas slightly raised; funicles c. 10-12 on each placenta, inserted up to c. ⅔ of the length of the valves, in ripe seeds up to c. 3 mm long, very dark violet. Seeds c. 4-6 on each placenta, irregular-globose, dark violet, c. 4 mm ø.
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