Erect subshrub, up to 2.5 m high. Branches ± curved, terete or slightly compressed, 0.5-1 cm ø, pubescent. Leaves chartaceous, oblanceolate, lanceolate, or elliptic, 15-29 by 5.5-14 cm; apex acuminate; base cuneate or obtuse; glabrous, sometimes slightly pubescent on the midrib above, loosely pubescent beneath; basal nerves 2 pairs, the inner one starting near the base, ascending up to ⅔ or higher, similar to the lateral ones in thickness and appearance, the outer one weak and short, close to the margin; lateral nerves 5-8 pairs, occasionally with shorter ones between them, elevated beneath, faint above; veins transverse, scalariform, connected with crossbar-like or loosely reticulate veinlets, slightly elevated below, flat or obscure above; petiole 4-10 mm, pubescent. Inflorescences in the axiles of foliage leaves, simple or sparsely branched, up to 8.5 cm long, spici-or racemiform, internodes spacious, puberulous; bracts oblanceolate to spathulate, or narrow-elliptic, 3-7 mm long, puberulous on both surfaces. Pedicel and ovary rather long, 14-30 mm, puberulous. Perianth dirty purplish red, or dark brown, short-cupular, 10-13 mm long, 15-20 mm ø, veins rather loosely reticulate, sparsely puberulous outside, slightly (glandular) hairy inside; tube 5-6 mm long; lobes reniform, 5-7 by 11-20 mm, margin reflexed at anthesis. Stamens in 2 whorls: upper row 9-12, lower 9-14; filaments glabrous, very short; anthers oblong, c. 1 mm long. Style column short, c. 1.5 mm long; lobes 8 or 9, c. 2 mm, glabrous. Capsules (rather young) pendent, siliquiform, twisted, narrowed at both ends, puberulous. Seeds ellipsoid, c. 2.5 by 1.5 mm, tubercled, deeply furrowed.
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