Description: Shrubs or trees, to 25 m tall; bark light brown, thin, flaking; older short shoots sometimes spine-tipped. Leaves opposite, elliptic, oblong, lanceolate or ovate, 4–15 cm long; apex acute to acuminate; base obtuse to sub-rounded; blade densely rust coloured short-hairy, becoming glabrous, or hairy on veins beneath; petioles 0.2–1 cm long; secoundary nerves 6–12 per side. Inflorescences terminal, to 30 cm long, densely rust coloured short stellate hairs. Flowers pink-violet to violet-white; pseudopedicel ca 2 mm long, slightly longer in fruit; mature bud flattened at apex, nippled ca 2 mm long; calyx tube hairy, ca 8 mm long; calyx lobes 6, upper half hairy within, triangular, 3–4 mm long, persistent; petals elliptic, 1.5–3 cm long including ca 5 mm long claw; stamens many, 6–7 outer ones longer; ovary whitish hairy. Capsule smooth, often densely whitish hairy at apex, ellipsoid, 1.4–1.7 mc long, 5–6-valved; seeds many, winged. |
