Subshrubs 50-100 m tall, perennial, erect, slightly anisophyllous. Stems sulcate, glabrous or with a few crisped trichomes. Petiole 0.5-7 cm, diminishing in length apically on stems, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; leaf blade ovate to oblong-ovate, 5-12 × 4-6 cm, abaxially uniformly violet to light green and glabrous except for pubescence along veins, adaxially green variegated with white patches and glabrous, secondary veins 7-9 on each side of midvein, base gradually narrowed and then ± decurrent to 2 cm onto petiole, margin coarsely serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences from apical leaf axils, simple or branched pedunculate spikes, commonly forming a terminal panicle of spikes; spikes 2-7 cm, densely gland-tipped pilose; peduncle of panicles 2-10 cm, subglabrous to thinly pubescent; rachis and branches densely gland-tipped pilose; bracts oblong-ovate to oblong-obovate, 3-4 × 1.5-2.5 mm, persistent, densely gland-tipped pilose, apex obtuse; bracteoles oblong to obovate, 3-4 × 1-1.5 mm, abaxially densely gland-tipped pilose, adaxially glabrous but densely covered with white cystoliths, apex obtuse. Flowers in opposite pairs, basally 1-2 cm apart on rachis, clearly separate all along spike except at very apex. Calyx 5-6 mm, subequally 5-lobed to base; lobes oblong, outside densely gland-tipped villous, inside glabrous and densely covered with white cystoliths. Corolla pale blue with a white tube, 2-2.6 cm, straight or slightly bent, outside sparsely to densely pilose with large-celled trichomes; tube basally cylindric and narrow for 6-8 mm then widened to ca. 1 cm at mouth; lobes ovate, ca. 3 × 3 mm, apex obtuse. Fertile stamens 2; filaments ca. 4 mm, glabrous; anther thecae ca. 1.5 mm, included; pollen type 18. Ovary villous; style ca. 2 cm, glabrous. Capsule oblong, 5-7 × ca. 2 mm, silky pubescent, 4-seeded. Seeds ca. 2 × 2 mm, pubescent. Fl. Sep-Jan.
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