Herb woody at base, shrub-like, up to 1 m high. Branches sulcate or irregularly angular, c. 5 mm ø, sparsely pubescent. Leaves chartaceous, elliptic, lanceolate, obovate, rarely oblanceolate, 10-21 by 4.5-7.5 cm; apex acute, acuminate, or short-acuminate; base obtuse, rotund, or cuneate; glabrous above, pubescent beneath; basal nerves 2 or 3 pairs, the inner one ascending upward to about halfway, similar to the lateral nerves, the outer 1 or 2 much weaker and shorter, close to the margin; lateral nerves 8-14 pairs, joined by transverse, subparallel, scalariform or sometimes loosely reticulate veins and veinlets, elevated beneath, often obscure above, petiole 3-5 (-10) mm, pubescent. Inflorescences axillary, usually in the axils of foliage leaves, spiciform or racemiform, solitary or rarely 2 in an axil, pubescent; bracts crowded, lanceolate, elliptic, oblanceolate or spathulate, 3-10 mm long, pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Pedicel and ovary 5-10 mm long, pubescent. Perianth dirty yellowish white, inside blackish red, or dark-red, campanulate, or funnel-shaped, 14-20 mm long, c. 12 mm ø, veins loosely reticulate, sparsely puberulous outside, glabrous inside; tube c. 5 mm long; lobes ovate to lanceolate, 8-15 by 5-8 mm, apex acute, acuminate, or obtuse. Stamens 6, in 1 whorl; filaments glabrous, c. 1 mm; anthers oblong, c. 1 mm long (excl. the protruding connective). Style column c. 2 mm long, lobes 3, 1-2 mm, glabrous. Capsules slender, up to 16 cm long, cylindric or slightly angular, twisted, sparsely pubescent. Seeds ovoid, trigonous, c. 4.5 by 2.5 mm, transversely rugose.
Home