Shrublet c. 150-700 mm tall, stems woody, well-branched, erect or straggling, pubescent with hairs c. 0.2-1 mm long in bands confined to margins of decurrent leaf bases, ± patent to slightly recurved, young parts closely leafy. Leaves opposite throughout or tardily alternate upwards, not fascicled, largest leaves 6-25 x 3-12 mm, suborbicular, ovate or elliptic, apex abruptly or gradually acute, base cuneate, decurrent, the median vascular strand forming a very narrow wing on young stems, margins plane, entire, texture leathery, veins immersed or midrib visible, glandular-punctate, otherwise usually glabrous, occasionally hairs up to 0.25(-0.8) mm long on margins. Inflorescence, a crowded terminal spike c. 20 x 15 mm in flower, elongating considerably in fruit, either solitary or arranged in a compact corymbose panicle. Bract adnate to calyx tube, lowermost 5-8.5 x 1.2-4 mm, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, concave only at base, glandular-punctate, hairs c. 0.1-0.5 mm long on lower margins, upper bracts often with small hairs on backs as well. Pedicel wanting. Calyx 2.7-4.5 mm long, usually 3-lobed up to roughly halfway, one or both anticolateral lobes sometimes bifid, or more deeply divided, these lobes broadly deltoid, acute, hairs 0.1-0.3 mm long on margins and outer surface, there sometimes confined to keels, minute glandular hairs as well outside, very minute globular glands inside. Corolla tube (5-)6.5-11 mm long, cylindric, expanded under limb, limb 5.5-8 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lobes (2-)2.3-3 x 1.2-1.7 mm, anticous lobes (2.2-)3.2-4 x 1.2-1.7 mm, all lobes oblong or oblong-elliptic, magenta-pink. Stamens: posticous filaments 1-2 mm long, anthers included or in mouth, anticous filaments 2-2.7 mm, anthers exerted. Stigma and style c. 6-12 mm long, style puberulous. Oxary c. 0.8 x 0.4 mm, glabrous, nectary relatively large. Cocci 2.7-3.2 x 1-2.25 mm, light red-or yellow-brown, outside faintly transversely wrinkled, inside plane, in transverse section seen to comprise two large spurious cells and a fertile part occupying less than a third of the total area. Flowers can be found in any month.
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Twiggy, dwarf shrub, up to ± 700 mm high; stems woody; pubescent, hairs ± patent to somewhat recurved along margins of decurrent leaf bases. Leaves: main ones up to 25 x 12 mm, ± round, ovate or elliptic, acute, base cuneate, decurrent, young stems narrowly winged, margins entire, glabrous. Flowers in a dense, terminal spike ± 20 x 15 mm, longer in fruit, single or grouped in a tight, corymbose panicle. Bracts: lowest ones ± ovate, base concave. Calyx 3-lobed to ± halfway, anticous lobes sometimes bifid, or split more deeply, these lobes widely deltate, acute. Corolla magenta-pink; tube up to 11 mm long, cylindric, widening at apex. Anthers: lower ones exserted. Flowering time all year.
Twiggy shrublet to 70 cm, branches with hairs in longitudinal bands. Leaves not tufted, ovate, leathery, glandular-punctate, sometimes hairy on margins. Flowers in dense, ovoid spikes, magenta-pink, corolla tube unusually long, cocci with 2, large, spurious cells.
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