a shrub of moderate height, branched; branches 2–3 lin. thick, the youngest pubescent, soon glabrous, the old covered with smooth, papery bark; leaves scattered on long shoots and in sessile fascicles (short shoots), the latter from axils of the former, all lanceolate, acute, mucronulate, with margins recurved, up to 1 in. long to 2 1/2 lin. broad, coriaceous, minutely asperulous above, loosely hirsute below, particularly along the midrib; stipules spiny, those of the long shoots spreading, 1/4– 3/4 (rarely to 1) in. long, fine, springing from an almost square leaf-cushion, usually under 1 lin. high, those of the short shoots much shorter; cymes few- to 1-flowered, terminal on the long and short shoots and hence often apparently axillary, sessile; bracts small, lanceolate to subulate, deciduous; pedicels 1–2 lin. long, glabrous; calyx 1 1/2 lin. long, glabrous or scantily puberulous; sepals ovate, acute to acuminate; corolla, infra-staminal part cylindric, slender, 3 lin. long, gradually passing into the upper funnel-shaped portion, the whole tube 6–9 lin. long, purple, hairy within below the stamens; limb 5–7 lin. across; lobes white to purple (the outer half), broad elliptic, rounded at the tips; anthers almost 2 lin. long; disc deeply 5-lobed, as high as the ovary; follicles unknown. null
