The World Flora Online

Shrubs 2.5-4 m tall, sometimes climbing. Branchlets 4-angled, densely yellow-brown sericeous. Petiole terete, 3-14 cm, densely sericeous; leaf blade broadly ovate-cordate to cordate, 11-21 X 7-16 cm, villous especially on veins, base truncate to cordate, margin entire, apex acuminate, veins prominent on both surfaces. Inflorescences terminal cymose panicles, 15-25 X 14-20 cm, densely sericeous; bracts ovate, 4.5-6.5 cm, persistent; bractlets ovate, 6-10 mm, deciduous, with several peltate glands. Calyx campanulate, ca. 7 mm, outside densely sericeous and with peltate glands, inside pubescent; lobes subsecund, obovate-oblong, as long as tube. Corolla white or pinkish yellow, tube equal or slightly longer than calyx, limb subsecund, outside densely sericeous, inside glabrous; lobes obovate-oblong, ca. 7 mm. Stamens exserted, as long as style. Drupes green-black, globose, 8-10 mm in diam. Fl. and fr. Mar-Apr.

Leaves opposite, ovate to broadly obovate, 10–17.5 cm. long, 4–13 cm. wide, acute at the apex, rounded to slightly cordate at the base, coarsely and irregularly crenate or toothed, velvety or adpressed pubescent above, hispid beneath; venation plane above but very prominent beneath; petiole 4–7 cm. long. Panicles lax, elongate, to ± 17 cm., leafy at base with elongate internodes, the leaves decreasing upwards with uppermost bract-like; axillary cymes opposite, the lower 9–12 cm. long, the upper 0.5–3 cm. long; peduncles 2–5 cm. long. Calyx 1.3 cm. long, densely villous; tube cupulate-campanulate, 3 mm. long and in diameter; limb widely spreading, ± 1 cm. long, divided for ± 2/3 the length into 5 ovate-triangular acute-ciliate teeth 6 mm. wide at the base, nerved, sparsely pubescent and with very characteristic discoid-cupular glands (sessile glands fide Thomas). Corolla villous; tube 1–1.5 cm. long, 3 mm. wide, not dilated at the throat; limb almost 2-lipped; lobes unequal, the smallest 7 mm. long, the largest 1 cm. long. Stamens 4–4.5 cm. long, long-exserted. Style 5 cm. long. Ovary black, 4-lobed, 2 mm. tall. Mature fruit globose. Shrub 2.5–3 m. tall; branches obtusely angled or terete; densely tomentose at the apex, velvety or pilose beneath; internodes rather long; accessory buds present. Panicles lax, elongate, to ± 17 cm., leafy at base with elongate internodes, the leaves decreasing upwards with uppermost bract-like; axillary cymes opposite, the lower 9–12 cm. long, the upper 0.5–3 cm. long; peduncles 2–5 cm. long. Calyx 1.3 cm. long, densely villous; tube cupulate-campanulate, 3 mm. long and in diameter; limb widely spreading, ± 1 cm. long, divided for ± 2/3 the length into 5 ovate-triangular acute-ciliate teeth 6 mm. wide at the base, nerved, sparsely pubescent and with very characteristic discoid-cupular glands (sessile glands fide Thomas). Corolla villous; tube 1–1.5 cm. long, 3 mm. wide, not dilated at the throat; limb almost 2-lipped; lobes unequal, the smallest 7 mm. long, the largest 1 cm. long. Stamens 4–4.5 cm. long, long-exserted. Style 5 cm. long. Ovary black, 4-lobed, 2 mm. tall. Mature fruit globose. Shrub 2.5–3 m. tall; branches obtusely angled or terete; densely tomentose at the apex, velvety or pilose beneath; internodes rather long; accessory buds present.