Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or small trees 1–4 m tall.

Stems: Young branches quadrate, densely villous to hirtellous.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite, decussate. Blades elliptic–ovate to lanceolate, 4–12 cm long, 2–5 cm wide. Apex acute to acuminate. Apex acute to acuminate. Base obtuse to rounded. Base obtuse to rounded. Upper surfaces strigose, the hairs not adnate to surface; lower surfaces sericeous. Upper surfaces strigose, the hairs not adnate to surface; lower surfaces sericeous. Margins entire. Margins entire. 5–7-veined. Petioles 5–20 mm long. Stipules absent. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in cymes, inflorescences terminal, 8–15 cm long (incl. peduncle), with 2 bracts subtending each simple cyme, bracts elliptic to elliptic–ovate, 2.5–3 cm long, 0.8–1.4 cm wide, deciduous, bracteoles enclosing and concealing floral buds. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Hypanthium densely strigose; fruiting hypanthium 14–15 mm long, 9–10 mm wide. Calyx lobes linear–subulate, 12–15 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, deciduous after anthesis. Corolla of 5 petals, obovate, purple, 25–40 mm long, 20–40 mm wide. Stamens twice as many as petals, dimorphic; anthers linear–subulate, with a ventrally inclined pore, larger anthers 15–16 mm long, connective prolonged 6–7 mm, with an appendage ca. 1 mm long, smaller anthers 11–14 mm long, with shorter connective and appendage but otherwise as in larger anthers; filaments glandular puberulent at base. Ovary inferior, distinct, 4–5-celled, pubescent at the apex, placentation axile; ovules numerous; style simple; stigma terminal.

Fruit: Capsules fully enclosed by the hypanthium. Seeds: mature seeds not seen.

Ploidy: 2n = 56

Habitat: Open and shaded areas in mesix to wet forests; forest edges; and clearings.

Elevation Range: 200–1,200 m.