Similar in habit to S. aviculare but differing in purplish stems and darker If-veining. Corolla rotate, up to 5 cm. diam., blue-purple; lobes c. 1/2 length tube, margins flat, apices emarginate. Seeds 2·2-2.5 mm. long. Baylis (loc. cit. 639) gives: n = 46, average pollen-grain diam. 36-42 µ, stone-cell masses in ripe fr. conspicuous, mostly as large as or larger than the seeds.

2n = [92]

n = 46

2n = 92

2n = 92

2n = 92

n = 46

Glabrous, unarmed, soft-wooded shrub to c. 3 m tall; stems often purple or greenish purple. Lvs petiolate, entire or pinnatisect (with 1-4 pairs of lobes sometimes nearly reaching midrib) on the same plant, 10-40 cm long. Lamina of entire lvs to 5 cm wide (lobes of pinnatisect ones to 2 cm wide, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, sometimes ± elliptic); base decurrent on petiole; apex obtuse to acuminate. Cymes 2- c. 10-flowered; peduncles to 18 cm long at anthesis, slender; pedicels pendent at fruiting. Calyx 5-8 mm long, accrescent; lobes very broadly ovate-triangular, mucronate, much < tube. Corolla usually 4-5 cm diam., violet, almost glabrous; lobes very broad and rather shallow, ± emarginate. Anthers 3-4 mm long. Berry 23-30 mm long, ovoid or ellipsoid, pendent, usually yellow or pale orange; stone cells conspicuous, = or > seeds. Seeds 2.2-2.5 mm diam., ± obovoid but somewhat asymmetric.