Perennial herb, often woody at the base, 30-80 cm high, with a frequently very strong taproot; stems terete, leafy over a considerable length, densely appressed pubescent. Leaves not crowded, ovate-elliptic or ovate-oblong from a cuneate entire base, acute or rather obtuse, very distinctly dentate-serrate, rather densely gland-dotted beneath, on both surfaces, especially the lower, appressed white-pubescent (hairs on the nerves longer and more closely set), 1¾-9 cm by ¾-4 cm; midrib and usually also the erecto-patent lateral nerves distinctly prominent beneath. Petiole with 2 rather large apical lateral glands, appressed hairy, ½-1¼ cm long. Stipules erect, very minute, long-hairy. Flowers in the higher leaf-axils. Pedicel ⅓-½ cm. Bracteoles at the calyx-base, broadest at the base, very acute. Calyx densely appressed pubescent and gland-dotted without, glabrous within except on the pilose base; tube rather abruptly widened in the upper half ½-¾ cm long; segments narrow, very acute, 1-1½ cm long. Petals with a slightly hairy, 3-4 mm long claw, blade obovate, broadly rounded, entire, above the claw glabrous, finally above the base much spreading or subreflexed, 2-3½ cm by 1¾-2½ cm. Filaments with broad membranous-margined bases; anthers inserted dor sally a little above their base. Ovary ovoid, densely clothed with appressed white hairs, with 3 glabrous apical depressions (style-scars). Capsule ovoid, obtuse, finely verruculose, hairy, rather thick-walled. Seeds subprismatical, on one end crowned by a semiglob-ular boss, brownish yellow, 2¾-3 by ± 4/5-1 mm; aril white.
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Rhizomatous shrub 0.2–2 m high, with erect or decumbent stems, with simple hairs. Stipules 2, 0.1–0.6 mm long. Petiole (1–) 2–8 (–19) mm long, with 1 or 2 nectary glands (0.5–1.4 mm long) at junction with lamina or 4 mm into lamina. Lamina ovate or elliptic, sometimes lanceolate or obovate, 2.2–6 (–10) cm long, 0.7–4 (–5.2) cm wide; apex acute or obtuse; base cuneate or attenuate; margin serrate. Prophyll linear-subulate, 6–18 mm long, 0.7–1 (–1.5) mm wide. Flowers solitary, dimorphic, 2.8–5.6 cm diam. Peduncle 2.5–13 mm long, adnate to petiole or with a very short free apical portion. Sepals greenish or yellowish, 11–29 mm long. Petals white or yellow with a dark purple patch at the base. Filaments 5.5–7 mm long in long-styled flowers, 8.5–13 mm long in short-styled flowers, attached along 2–5 mm of length to floral tube forming 5 nectar pockets. Styles 6.5–9 mm long in long style flowers, 3–5 mm in short style flowers. Fruit subglobose, granulose, 2.5–8 mm long. Seeds 2.4–3.1 mm long, blackish.
Inhabitant of sunny localities, fields, waste places, railway-embankments, railway-yards, old brick walls, 10-250 m, locally often copious, very conspicuous when bearing open flowers which are very showy and most fugacious.
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Grows in disturbed areas and woodland on sandy soil in coastal tropical areas.
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