Description: Erect, much branched, woody shrubs, ± 3m high; branches sub-quadrangular, densely covered with long, soft brownish ascending or subpatent hairs, particularly the younger parts; older branches sometimes becoming hispid or rarely glabrate due to falling of the hairs. Leaves 2.8-3.5 x 1.5-1.8 cm, base cuneate to subrounded, apex acute, margin entire; nerves 5, distinctly impressed above, raised beneath, marginal pair often remaining obscure, lateral nerves obscure on the upper surface; both surface densely covered with ascending to subpatent hairs, hairs on the nerves beneath longer and often occurring in groups, lines of crystalliferous cells distinct above, usually unbranched, indistinct or absent beneath; both surfaces turn dull green to grayish green on drying, chartaceous; petioles 8-12 mm long, puberulous. Inflorescence a short axillary or terminal panicle, the panicle sometimes remaining so condensed that the flowers appeared to be in fascicle; bracts small, 2-2.5 x 1.8-2 mm, ovate, caducous, dorsally covered with long ascending hairs, margin ciliate. Calyx tube 4-5 x 3.8-4 mm, densely covered with long, simple, ascending hairs, hairs at the bottom of the calyx tube curved, emergences absent. Sepals 5, 2-2.5 x 1.25-1.5 mm, triangular, midrib ± prominent, margin long-ciliate, few long patent hairs occurring on the midrib dorsally, otherwise glabrous. Intersepalar emergence with a short rectangular naked stalk and a stellate head, 1-1.5 mm long, head with many stiff hairs or bristles. Petals 5, pink, obovate, 12-14 x 7-8 mm, finely veined, margin ciliate. Stamens 10, filaments 4-5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 5-5.5 mm long including a short narrow beak, pore single, oblique, ventral, connective extended back to a small collar, bilobed. Ovary 3.5-4 mm long, adnate to the calyx tube, anther pockets extended below the middle, free upper part densely covered with long ascending hairs, true crown of bristles absent; style 14-16 mm long, glabrous, distal end thickened, curved, stigma capitate, minutely papillose. Capsules enclosed by the calyx tube. Fruiting calyx 5-7 x 4.5-6.5 mm, sparsely to densely covered with stiff hairs, prominently ridged; seeds small, muricate.

Habit: Shrub

Flowering & Fruiting: January-June

District(s): Thiruvananthapuram

Medicinal:

Habitat: Evergreen forests

Distribution: Southern Western Ghats

Aquatic: No

Epiphyte(s): No

Saprophyte: No

Stem parasite: No

Root parasite: No

Flower colour(s): Pink, Red

Weed: No

Monocot/Dicot: Dicotyledonous Plants

Exotic: No

Garden: No

Edible: No

Vegetable: No

Endemic to: Southern Western Ghats

IUCN status:

Altitude:

Localities: Chemungi

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