Perennial herb, 0.6–1.5 m high. Stem hollow, simple at base, branched at inflorescence. Leaves narrowed into very short pseudo-petiole, up to 10 mm long; lamina lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, (2.5–)8–20 cm long, 2.6–5 cm wide, decreasing towards apex of plant, acute to acuminate, amplexicaul, strongly 3-veined, veins impressed above, prominent beneath. Inflorescences strictly axillary, many-flowered; bracteoles linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, up to 22 mm long, ± 1.6 mm wide, acuminate. Flowers sessile. Calyx tube 4–7.2 mm long, with 8 teeth; teeth 7–15 mm long, up to 1 mm wide at base, with a single row of colleters on inner surface at base. Corolla white to pink to mauvish blue, tube 13–18.4 mm long, cylindrical, with 8 thickened ridges on inner surface above ovary; ridges 4–5 mm long, ± 0.6 mm wide, apically becoming free from tube, ending in a ruffled, scale-like, lanceolate appendage, 0.8 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, decurrent on ridge, appendages forming a corona; lobes spatulate or obovate, 14–19 mm long, 4.5–8 mm wide, deeply notched with awn to 1 cm long arising from the middle of the notch. Filaments 6–10 mm long, inserted on the corolla tube, behind corona scale; anthers dark mauve, oblong or elliptic, 3–4 mm long, apiculate. Ovary ellipsoid or ovate-oblong, 9–13 mm long, 3–4 mm diameter, unilocular; style up to 6–9 mm long; stigma capitate, bilobed, lobes 0.8 mm long, 1.9 mm wide, wider than long, crescent-shaped, papillose. Capsule ovoid, 12–18 mm long, 6–8 mm diameter, bivalved. Seeds slightly curved at the median or ± crescent-shaped, 0.75 mm long, 0.5 mm diameter, surface winged all over, wings ± 0.4 mm wide, continuous in outline. Fig. 5 (p. 23).
