Leaves 6-13 x 2-8 cm ovate-oblong, acute-acuminate, glabrous above, pubescent, specially on the nerves below. Petiole 2-6 cm, glabrous. Penduncle 2-5 cm long. Flowers fragrant. Pedicel 2.0-5 cm long. Calyx divided almost to the base, lobes 3-4 mm long. Corolla purplish crimson inside, frosted white or pale-pink outside, divided about 2/3 of the way down, lobes 7-15 mm long. Corona ring c. 2.5 mm high. Follicles 10-13 cm x 6-7 mm. Coma 1.8-2.6 cm long.

Fl. Per.: July-August.

Type: Rheede tot Draakestein, Hort. Ind. Malabar. 9.t. 7.1689.

Distribution: Eastern Burma, India, Ceylon, Kashmir and Pakistan.

The roots are reputed to have medicinal properties and the flowers and flower buds are eaten as vegetables.

In some works (e.g. Index Nominum Genericorum 2: 830.1979), the name Holostema annularium is not accepted and the species is listed as Holostema ada-kodien J.A. Schultes.