Succulent forming spreading to dense clump to 1 m diam. or more. Stems 100-300 mm long, 12-35 mm thick, erect, shortly pubescent, green suffused or mottled with purple; tubercles 1-3 mm long, obscure, joined into 4 prominent wings along stem with broadly concave area between them; leaf-rudiments 2-3 mm long, deltoid, acute. Inflorescences pubescent, 1 per stem arising near base, with 1-4 flowers developing in gradual succession on short stout peduncle up to 10 mm long with few deltoid bracts ±2 mm long; pedicel 20-60 mm long, 4-5 mm thick, pinkish, spreading and holding flower facing outwards; sepals 7-16 mm long, 3-5 mm broad at base, ovate, acute. Corolla 125-400 mm diam., rotate to reflexed, lobed to about three-quarters of radius with flat to campanulate central united area; outside pink to green, with 3-5 darker veins on each lobe; inside transversely rugulose over whole surface with ridges becoming closer together and forming ± concentric circles on united area and in tube, pale yellow-brown to reddish, with tips of ridges darker red-brown or purple, covered all over with fine hairs, hairs longest (to 15 mm) and thickest and whitish along margins of lobes becoming shorter and more slender and purplish away from margins; tube 15-50 mm deep, conical, pentagonal towards base; lobes 80-150 mm long, 40-60 mm broad at base, spreading to reflexed, ovate, acuminate, flat towards base becoming somewhat convex with reflexed margins in slender portion. Corona ±12-19 mm tall, ±13-15 mm broad, dark purple, raised on yellow pentagonal stipe 1-2 mm tall, glabrous; outer lobes 5-7 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm broad, ascending then spreading, rectangular to oblong or sub-spathulate, with crenulate or acute to acuminate apex; inner lobes 8-12 mm long, 1-2 mm broad, adpressed to backs of anthers then erect and connivent in centre, dorsiventrally flattened below becoming nearly terete above, with broad ± oblong erect dorsal wing up to 11 mm long.
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Succulent perennial herb, 150-250 mm tall. Corolla rotate or limb sometimes shallowly campanulate, 125-400 mm in diameter, thinly covered with long, weak, slightly crisped hairs, longest on margins. Inner corona lobes with an erect horn and an erect to erectly spreading, broad dorsal wing. Flowers buff to reddish or purplish, narrowly red-brown to purple lined; corona dark purple.
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