Shrub 0.8–3 m tall, branched; branchlets reddish when young, stellate-tomentellous with fulvous hairs. Leaves ovate to oblong, 4–15 cm long, 1.2–12 cm wide, rounded at the apex, rounded to subcordate at the base, the lower 3–5-lobed, irregularly toothed, subcoriaceous, puberulous or scabrid above, tomentellous to densely white-pubescent beneath; domatia absent; stipules lanceolate, 0.8–1.2 cm long, pubescent and ciliate, persistent; petiole 0.5–9 mm long, tomentellous. Inflorescences up to 15 cm long, tomentellous; primary and secondary peduncles 1–3.5 cm long; pedicels 2–10 mm long. Sepals pinkish to purplish red, oblong, up to 3.6 cm long, 6 mm wide with apical broad rounded projection, tomentellous. Petalsbright pink, purple or blue-mauve, ± round, up to 3 cm long, 2 cm wide, clawed. Fertile stamens 16, yellow or pink, the inner 8 of which are the longest. Ovary oblong, 4–8-locular, setose with dense yellow hairs; style pink, glabrous; stigmas pink, 6–7, erect or spreading. Capsules 3–7 cm long, 1.8–2.5 cm wide, entirely covered with pilose prickles, each with a stiff seta at apex. Seeds greyish, subglobose, ± 2 mm diameter, slightly flattened, smooth. Fig. 16.
