Information

Perennial herb, occasionally softly woody, smooth, grey stems sprawling from the thickened root, flowering stems succulent, stiffly ascending to 1 m, or sometimes semi-scandent to 2 m through other vegetation. Leaves slightly fleshy, broadly obovate to obovate-oblong, 2–8 cm long, 1–3.5 cm wide, cuneate to a short petiole, apex broadly rounded, apiculate. Inflorescence a terminal thyrsiform panicle, or appearing racemose, the flowers in lateral cymes on a central axis 7–30 cm long, individual cymes 1–several-flowered, subsessile or stiffly pedunculate; pedicels 1–2 cm long, recurving in fruit. Flowers 2–2.5 cm wide, opening towards evening; sepals broadly ovate, concave, thinly membranous, 4–5.5 mm long, apiculate; petals obovate, usually magenta, sometimes crimson, pink or rarely white; stamens ± 25, filaments magenta, anthers yellow; ovary green. Capsule globose, dull yellowish, 6–7 mm high; seeds lenticular, subreniform, ± 1 mm in diameter, black, glossy, testa cells in concentric rings, smooth or sparsely to prominently dotted, a single peg-like papilla in the centre of some (rarely all) testa cells, especially on the flanks.