A shrub 4–8 ft. high, leafless when in flower; branches succulent, stout, glabrous except at the very tips when young. Leaves obovate to oblong, subacute or obtuse, acute or subacuminate at the base, 2–3 in. long, 9–15 lin. broad, subcoriaceous; midrib rather thin; nerves faint, though usually distinct, very oblique; petiole 1–2 lin. long. Cymes much contracted, 5–15-flowered, terminal, sessile, preceded by more or less numerous deciduous triangular indurated bud-scales, hairy; bracts lanceolate, 2–3 lin. long; pedicels up to 2 lin. long. Calyx 3–4 lin. long, hairy; sepals lanceolate. Corolla white or pink, conspicuously cuspidate in bud; infrastaminal part of the tube 3–4 lin. long, with 5 hairy lines descending almost to the middle, glabrous below, suprastaminal part funnel-shaped, villous within, 9–12 lin. long; throat-scales small, confluent and forming an obversely triangular pocket; lobes broad ovate, shortly acuminate and conspicuously cuspidate. Anthers 3 lin. long, densely villous; apical tails exserted. Follicles reflexed, spindle-shaped, finely tomentose, 7 in. long. Seeds 6 lin. long, coma 15 lin. long.