Herbs perennial, 30--80 cm tall. Roots robust, conical, lignified. Stems erect or ascending, multibranched from woody base, glabrous or sparsely hairy, apically viscid. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Cauline leaves with short sterile axillary branches, linear or linear-lanceolate, (1.5--)3--5(--6) cm × 2--5 mm, base cuneate or attenuate, glabrous, midvein prominent. Flowers erect, in a lax, few-flowered thyrse; cymules with peduncles subequaling pedicels, opposite or alternate, often 1-flowered. Pedicel 2--4 cm, slender, glabrous, viscid; bracts linear, 5--10 mm, ciliate. Calyx tubular, clavate in fruit, 2.5--3.5 cm × ca. 3 mm, glabrous, veins green or violet; calyx teeth ca. 1.5 mm. Androgynophore 1.5--2 cm, glabrous. Petal claws slightly exserted beyond calyx, narrowly lanceolate, 1--1.5 cm, glabrous, not auriculate, limbs pale red, obcordate or obovate, 1--1.4 cm, divided to about halfway, lobes narrowly ovate; coronal scales very small. Stamens and styles exserted; filaments glabrous. Styles 3. Capsule 1--1.5 cm. Seeds dark brown, reniform, slightly flat, ca. 1.2 mm. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Aug--Sep.
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