An erect, up to 1.5 m tall, much branched, unarmed shrublet with appressedly hairy twigs, densely so at the nodes, Leaves with 1-2 cm long, hairy petiole; lamina elliptic-oblong to lanceolate, 3-12.5 cm x 1-3.5 cm, hairy both surfaces, attenuate at the base, entire, apically acute-acuminate. Flowers purple blue or pink or white, 4.5-5 cm long, in short, 1-5-flowered, axillary or terminal spikes; bracts absent or lanceolate, 8-12 mm long, bristly on margins, scabrous, acute; bracteoles absent. Calyx deeply 4-cleft, outer 2 lobes much larger than the inner pair, ovate-lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 cm x 6-8 (-10) mm, acuminate, bristly toothed on margins, hairy or glabrescent, inner 2-lobes linear, 7-8 mm long, pointed. Corolla glandular-pubescent outside, tube 3.5-4 cm long, infundibuliform, limb with oblong-obovate, up to 2 cm long, unequal lobes. Filaments hairy, anthers oblong, c. 3 mm long. Ovary oblong-conical, mm long; style c. 4 cm long. Capsule ellipsoid, 1.5-2 cm long, glabrous, pointed at the base and apex, 4-seeded. Seeds orbicular, c. 4 mm across, appressed hairy.

Fl. Per.: November-February.

Type: Described from India, Herb. Linn. 805/4 (LINN).

Distribution: S. China, Nepal, Burma, Indo-China, Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Often cultivated in gardens for its showy flowers.