Shrubs 0.6-1.5 m tall, drying blackish green. Branches terete, apically thinly brown pubescent, glabrescent. Petiole 0.5-2.5 cm; leaf blade oblong-elliptic to elliptic, to 18 × 7 cm, both surfaces with cystoliths, abaxially glabrous except for brown scurfy pubescence along veins, adaxially glabrous, secondary veins 8-12 on each side of midvein, base cuneate, margin subentire, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, spikes, 3-6 cm, with 6-8 flower pairs; peduncle 0-0.3 cm, glabrous; bracts obovate, ca. 13 × 5 mm, both surfaces densely covered with cystoliths, apical margin ciliate with rigid brown trichomes, apex abruptly narrowed to a mucro; bracteoles oblanceolate, ca. 1 × 3 mm, abaxially apically fulvous pubescent, margin with a distinct shoulder, apex cuspidate. Flowers imbricate on rachis. Calyx 1-1.3 cm at anthesis, accrescent to ca. 2 cm; lobes linear-lanceolate, to 18 × 1 mm, apex long acuminate. Corolla violet, ca. 4.5 cm, outside and inside glabrous except for trichomes retaining style; tube basally cylindric for ca. 8 mm then abruptly widened to 1.5-1.8 cm at mouth; lobes broadly ovate, ca. 6 × 7 mm, apex rounded. Stamens 4, included; shorter filament pair ca. 2 mm, glabrous; longer filament pair ca. 7 mm, pilose; anther thecae oblong, ca. 3 × 1.5 mm, erect; pollen type 3. Ovary glabrous except for densely comose tip; style ca. 4 cm, pilose. Capsule oblong, 1-2 cm, comose, 4-seeded. Seeds ovate in outline, ca. 4 × 3 mm, densely appressed pilose. Fl. May.
Home