Erect sparingly branched subglabrous suffruticose herbs or shrubs to 3 m. high. Leaves glabrous to minutely strigillose on the veins below, lanceolate to rhombic-ovate, often falcate, apically attenuate, basally acute to subrounded, 3-15 cm. long, 1-5 cm. broad; petioles 5-25 mn-i. long. Inflorescences of mostly terminal racemes or panicles, the rhachises usually glandular. Flowers perfect, on pedicels 1-5 mm. long; bracts and bracteoles subequal, broadly ovate, carinate, 0.5-2 mm. long; sepals 5 (-6), subequal, ovate, concave, glabrate or scurfy, rounded to acute, with 19-27 ribs, 2.5-6 mm. long, 1-4 mm. broad; stamens 6-8; filaments 2-3 mm. long; filament tube 1-2 mmi. long; anthers oblong; ovary globose to ellipsoid; styles 1, sulcate, about 0.5 mm. long; stigmata 5-6, rarely more or less, usually longer than the style, ultimately reflexcd. Fruit a circumscissile capsule equaling or exceeding the sepals, red becoming black, 5-7 mn-. long, 4-7 mm. broad; seeds cochleate-orbiculate, black, lustrous, reticulate, 1-1.2 (-1.5) mm. broad, on filiform or flattened funicles becoming l-3 mm. long.
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