a robust herb or almost shrub, spiny, more rarely unarmed; branches terete, usually dark purple, clothed with sessile stellate hairs; leaves ovate, repand or sinuate, acuminate, unequal at the base, 6–9 in. long, 3–5 in. wide, with stellate tomentum on both surfaces, unarmed, rarely spiny; petiole long, spiny; flowers solitary, or few in a cyme with one only fertile, 5–9-merous; calyx often spiny, 4 lin. in diam., enlarging in fruit; lobes unequal, linear-lanceolate; corolla violet-purple, 1–1 1/2 in. in diam., with stellate hairs on both sides; lobes 4–5 lin. long, triangular, acute; filaments short; anthers 3–4 lin. long, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, with 2 small apical pores; style 2–3 lin. long, slightly curved, stellately hairy at the base; berry oblong or slightly enlarged above, 6 in. long, blackish-purple; placentas fleshy. null
