Herbs perennial, 50--80(--100) cm tall. Roots robust, lignified. Stems caespitose, erect, multibranched, shortly villous or subglabrous, viscid. Basal leaves oblanceolate or lanceolate, withered at anthesis, 3--8 cm × 7--12(--15) mm, both surfaces glabrous or villous when young, margin ciliate, midvein prominent, base attenuate into short petiole. Cauline leaves with short sterile axillary branches, gradually smaller than basal leaves. Flowers 2(--2.5) cm in diam., erect, in a lax, few-flowered thyrse; cymules with peduncles shorter than or subequaling pedicels, opposite, 1--3-flowered. Pedicel 3--12(--15) mm, slender; bracts linear, 5--10 mm, ciliate. Calyx narrowly tubular, (2.2--)2.5--3 cm × ca. 3 mm, glabrous, inflated above and clavate in fruit, longitudinal veins green or violet; teeth 1.5--2 mm. Androgynophore 1--1.5(--1.7) mm in fruit, glabrous. Petal claws slightly exserted beyond calyx, oblanceolate, 1--1.5 cm, glabrous; limbs exserted, pale red, cuneate-obovate, ca. 1.5 cm, deeply bifid to middle or more; lobes laciniate; coronal scales ligulate, small. Stamens and styles slightly exserted; filaments glabrous. Styles 3. Capsule 1.2--1.5 cm × ca. 4 mm, shorter than or equaling calyx. Seeds dark brown, orbicular-reniform, slightly flattened, ca. 1 mm. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Jul--Sep. 2n = 30*.
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