Shrubs, 2–75 dm. Stems 3–20+, branched; bark cinnamon brown, weathering gray, in thin papery sheets; short shoots present. Leaves persistent or drought-deciduous, ?abscising distal to bases, crowded on short-shoot spurs?, simple; stipules persistent, deltate, margins entire; petiole usually absent, sometimes present; blade linear or ovate to obovate, 0.3–1.5(–1.9) cm, coriaceous, sometimes thin, margins revolute, entire or toothed to lobed, abaxial surface usually densely hairy, adaxial glabrous or sparsely hairy. Inflorescences terminal ?on short shoots?, flowers solitary; bracts present ?resembling immature leaves?; bracteoles absent. Pedicels present. Flowers 10–15(–25) mm diam.; hypanthium obconic, sometimes hemispheric in fruit, 2.5–6.5 mm, exterior villous, stipitate-glandular or not, ?interior glabrous, nectariferous?; sepals 5, spreading-reflexed, ovate to oblong-ovate, ?abaxial surface pubescent-villous?; petals 5, caducous, white, cream-yellow, or yellow [rose red], broadly obovate or obovate-spatulate to spatulate, ?base cuneate to clawed, apex spreading, rounded to emarginate?; stamens (17–)20–80(–125), shorter than petals; torus absent; carpels 1–15(–31), stipitate, stigmas terminal. Fruits achenes, 1, obovoid-fusiform or oblanceoloid, 4–12 mm, leathery; hypanthium persistent; sepals persistent, spreading-reflexing. x = 9.
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