Shrubs or small trees, up to 7 m tall; young shoots purple or purplish, subglabrous. Petiole stout, 6–13 mm, gray-blue when dried, subglabrous; leaf blade elliptic-oblong, rarely obovate-oblong, 4–10 × 2–3 cm; base broadly cuneate or subrounded; margin entire; apex acuminate or obliquely caudate-acute. Inflorescence 1-flowered. Pedicel 1–1.7 cm, glabrous or with gland-tipped bristles; calyx persistent, large, enclosing capsule; lobes obovate-elliptic or ovate, ca. 10 × 8 mm or ca. 5 mm, glabrous; apex obtuse; corolla rotate, white flushed with red or purple, sometimes with dark purple flecks on lobes, 2–2.5 cm; lobes 5, ovate-elliptic or obovate, 1.3–1.7 cm wide, glabrous or pubescent near base within; stamens 5, unequal, 2–2.5 cm, shorter than to as long as corolla, filaments white-puberulent in lower half; ovary conical to conical-ovoid, ca. 3–3.5 mm, shortly glandular setose; style 3–4 cm, exserted, glabrous. Capsule ovoid, ca. 9 × 8 mm, with dark brown flecks and glandular hairs; style persistent, ca. 4 cm. Fl. Apr–May, fr. Sep–Oct.