Subshrub 0.75–1.8 m. tall, branched, ?rarely an annual (in Arabia); stems woody at the base, pubescent and with some larger hairs.. Leaves ovate, 1.5–13 cm. long, 1–9 cm. wide, acute or acuminate at the apex, subtruncate to slightly cordate at the base or subcordate then ± cuneate or distinctly cuneate, coarsely serrate, finely pubescent with tubercle-based bristly non-uncinulate hairs, also micropuberulous and with longer hooked pubescence rendering leaves very adherent; petiole up to 4 cm. long.. Spikes 15–50 cm. long; bracts linear-elliptic, 2–4 mm. long; pedicels 1–2 mm. in fruit.. Calyx-tube 7–8 mm. long including ± distinct 1.5 mm. long lobes, densely covered with hooked hairs.. Corolla white, ? rarely reddish (with lilac stripes on lobes in Arabia), usually drying dark (at least in East Africa but pale in Arabia, etc.); tube 0.9–1.1 cm. long; limb ± 6 mm. wide, with rounded lobes ± 3 mm. long, 2.5–3 mm. wide.. Fruiting calyx distinctly subobcordate, 3–4 mm. long, 5–6 mm. wide, with an additional beak 1.5–2.5 mm. long; cocci compressed, semi-globose, distinctly beaked at one end, the elevated part strongly reticulate, ridged, with 2 rows of quite separate glabrous or puberulous spines 0.1–2 mm. long, 4–11(–18) on each side, the intervening back of the coccus ± broad and reticulate-alveolate, without spines; lower part of sides with 4–5 strong ribs down to commissural margin, thus dividing into 2 distinct zones; surface mostly glabrous or even glossy.
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Herb, up to 1 m high. Leaves broadly ovate, 10-75 mm wide, distinctly petiolate, strigillose above, strigillose-puberulent beneath. Fruiting calyx conspicuously inflated. Cocci echinate, with 2 parallel longitudinal rows of spines, spines separate to base, cocci minutely puberulent. Flowers white to mauve with purple markings.
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