Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs 2–4 m tall.

Stems: Young branches sparsely to densely covered with stellate and spreading, plumose hairs.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite, decussate. Blades ovate, elliptic, or ovate–lanceolate, 8–16 cm long, 5–10 cm wide. Apex acuminate. Base rounded to subcordate. Upper surfaces glabrous at maturity; lower surfaces stellate pubescent on the nerves but otherwise glabrous. Margins entire to remotely serrulate. 5–7-veined. Petioles 9–32 mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences terminal panicles, 8–20(–30) cm long (incl. peduncle), bracts and bracteoles subulate to lanceolate, 1–4(–6) mm long, 0.5–2 mm wide at the base, deciduous. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Hypanthium quadrate in flower, 6–8 mm long, sparsely stellate pubescent, fruiting hypanthium 7–8(–10) mm long, 4.5–5 mm wide. Calyx lobes triangular, prominently keeled externally, persistent, 1–1.5 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide at base. Corolla of 4 petals, pink to magenta, 6–9 mm long, 4–7 mm wide. Stamens 8, dimorphic, with larger ones inserted on receptacle opposite the calyx lobes and smaller ones inserted opposite the petals; anthers with a ventral, circular, subterminal pore; anther sacs prolonged at base into oblong lobes; anthers of larger Stamens 7–12 mm long, with anther sacs prolonged basally (to 1.5–2 mm), connective not prolonged; anthers of smaller Stamens 34.5 mm long, with anther sacs 2-lobed at base, connective prolonged dorsally into a deflexed spur 1–1.5 mm long. Ovary inferior, 4-celled, placentation axile; ovules numerous; style simple; stigma terminal, punctiform to capitate.

Fruit: Capsules essentially distinct but enclosed by hypanthium at maturity. Seeds 0.5–1 mm long; endosperm absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 40

Habitat:

Elevation Range: