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Information Very similar to K. lateritia differing by the leaves which are similar throughout the stem, the lower ones not so condensed, the uppermost not so scattered, usually indistinctly petiolate or sessile and with not such thick laminas; by the internodes not longer than 7·5 cm.; by the longer pedicels (2·5-5 mm. long rather than 1-3·5 mm. long); by the usually longer calyx-tube (1·4-2 mm. long rather than only up to 1(2) mm. long); by the longer and broader sepals which are ovate or ovate lanceolate and very attenuate.

Information A succulent perennial, pubescent-glandular throughout, 19-150 cm. high (incl. the inflorescence); hairs of the indumentum up to 1(1·5) mm. long, spreading, thin, capitate-glandular, ± dense, tawny to dark-brown or rusty-red on drying. Stem erect, usually simple, sometimes forked into two ± long floriferous axes, 0·5-1·8 cm. in diameter at the base, terete, leafless at fruiting time; lower internodes (from below upwards) 0·3-7 cm. long, the median ones 6-15 cm. long, the two terminal ones usually very elongate, (12)18-29 cm. long. Leaves condensed towards the lower part of stem, there petiolate and spreading-decurved, the median and the upper ones usually rather scattered, distinctly smaller than the lower, sub-bract-like, shortly petiolate to subsessile, ascending; lamina of the lower leaves 3·5-16(21) x 3-10(12·5) cm., subcircular or broadly obovate, less than twice as long as broad, rounded or obtusely acuminate at the top, crenate or doubly crenate at margin, rounded or cuneate at the base, the others obovate-spathulate to linear-cuneate, nearly or quite entire, flat in all leaves and rather fleshy, not very thin and somewhat rigid, dark brown or dark green when dry; petiole 0·5-5 cm. long, channelled, rather broad. Flowers in ± dense cymes grouped either in a single ± dense small terminal corymb or in a larger looser one (up to 20 cm. in diameter) or sometimes in several corymbs disposed in thyrsoid or panicle-like inflorescences, very densely rusty-pubescent-glandular; pedicels 1-3·5(5) mm. long. Calyx (4)5-7(8) mm. long; tube (0·3)0·5-1(2) mm. long; sepals (1)1·5-2·5(3) mm. broad at the base, ovate-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, rarely ovate, ± attenuate, acute or subacute, green, lineolate with red. Corolla 13·5-17 mm. long; tube 8·5-14 mm. long, dilated at base, yellow-orange turning white-hyaline below and pale-pink upwards at fruiting; corolla-lobes 4·5-7(8·5) x 2-4·2 mm., ovate or elliptic, attenuate or abruptly contracted at the apex, long apiculate, usually orange-red or brilliant scarlet-orange to brick-red, rarely yellow. Filaments ± 2·5 mm. long, insertedd above the middle of corolla-tube; anthers ± 0·75 mm. long, oblong, included. Follicles (4)-6-8(9) mm. long, attenuate into the 0·75-2 mm. long styles. Seeds c. 1 x 0·33 mm., oblong-linear, longitudinally slightly ribbed, curved at the top. Scales 1·75-4 mm. long, linear.This description applies to var. lateritia. var. prostrata Raadts, with prostrate stem and glabrous leaves and stern, and var. pseudolateritia Raadts, with a slightly longer corolla-tube, were described from Kenya and Tanzania.

Information Annual or biennial succulent viscid herb, 11·5-150 cm. high (incl. the inflorescence). Stem erect, usually simple, rarely furcate or branched above the base, 3-15 mm. thick below, 4-gonous to narrowly winged or subterete and with 4 longitudinal raised lines, green or whitish on drying, glabrous or sparsely hairy below, more densely and with longer hairs above, the hairs slender, soft, spreading, up to 3 mm. long, minutely capitate-glandular; internodes 1-8·5 cm. long. Leaves 3-23(30) x 0·7-9 cm., obovate, obovate-oblong to narrowly oblong- or linear-lanceolate, obtuse to acute, entire or sinuate to crenate or sometimes irregularly shallow-lobed, sessile, connate (sheath up to 0·5 cm.) or the uppermost free, decurrent, glabrous to shortly glandular-hairy, succulent but not thickly fleshy, flat, papery to membranous and yellowish-green on drying. Flowers erect in ± long cymes grouped in panicle- or thyrse-like inflorescences up to 50 cm. long or sometimes reduced to the terminal group and then corymbose; internodes of inflorescences ± long, the lower ones up to 12·5 cm. long; branches of inflorescences up to 20 cm. long, erect, in the axils of leaf-like bracts, glandular-hairy; pedicels 1·5-3 mm. long, glandular-hairy. Calyx (4)5-7(9) mm. long, rounded at the base, green, glandular-hairy; tube less than 5 to slightly more than 1/3 of the total calyx length; sepals up to 3·5 mm. broad at base, ovate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, attenuate-cuspidate, pale green, glandular-hairy on both sides. Corolla-tube (8)9-14 mm. long, 4-gonous in the part included into the calyx, contracted above the ovary in a slender subcylindrical tubular portion, then suddenly dilatate below the limb, membranaceous, pale yellow or pale pink, pilose and matt outside, somewhat shining and glabrous inside, somewhat innate and slightly rigid in fruit, splitting ready above the follicles and falling off; corolla-lobes 3-6 x 1·7-3·5(4) mm., obovate or broadly ovate, abruptly apiculate (apicule ± 0·75 mm.), rarely attenuate, pale yellow or greenish yellow to deep yellow, salmon, scarlet or deep orange. Stamens included, insertedd above the middle of corolla-tube; filaments of lower stamens 0·5 mm., those of the upper ones 1·5 mm. long; anthers 0·5-0·75 mm. long, ovate, pale yellow, the upper ones c. 1·75-2 mm. below the mouth of corolla-tube. Follicles 5-8 mm. long, fusiform, attenuate above, pale; styles 0·5-0·75 mm. long. Scales 2·5-4·5 mm. long, linear. Seeds 0·5-0·75 mm. long, clavate, with longitudinal raised lines.

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