Rotheca hirsuta (Hochst.) R.Fern.

Perennial herb or suffrutex 4-77 cm tall, from a woody rootstock. Stems 1-several (up to 8 or more), erect, usually simple, 4-angled, ± densely leafy. Leaves usually in whorls of 3, rarely opposite or in whorls of 4, sessile or nearly so; lamina shorter to longer than the internodes, smallest and relatively widest in the lowermost leaves, up to 5 cm long and (1.5)2-13 mm wide, elliptic, linear-elliptic to oblong or sometimes obovate, acute to obtuse or rounded at the apex, attenuate towards the base, entire, coriaceous to membranous, profusely gland-dotted on lower surface; midrib rather prominent beneath and the lateral nerves inconspicuous. Cymes 1-2(3)-flowered, solitary, axillary, usually in the upper 1/4-1/2 of the stems (rarely also in the lower part), subequalling the subtending leaf, or the uppermost somewhat exceeding the subtending leaf, the three leaves at each node ± equal in length; peduncles up to 3 cm long, slender, ascending or the lowermost sometimes spreading; pedicels 2-3 mm long, 2-bracteate at the base. Calyx campanulate, divided to about the middle; lobes up to 3 mm long, oblong or ovate to triangular, obtuse or acute, sometimes appearing acute or nearly subulate due to the margins becoming involute on drying. Corolla deep or vivid blue with a bifurcate violet stripe on the median lobe, or lilac-blue to violet-blue with a yellow stripe on each side of the median lobe or livid-blue with broad, white stripes on the median lobe; tube 4-5 mm long; lateral lobes obliquely obovate or elliptic, obtuse; lower lobe obovate or oblong, exceeding the others. Fruit black, c. 8 mm long, deeply lobed, each lobe cylindrical, smooth, rounded at the apex, c. 3 mm in diameter.