Deciduous shrub to c. 4 m high, glabrous, or puberulent especially on young parts; shoots reddish. Main stems with peeling brown papery bark. Lvs not usually clustered near apex, mostly opposite, sometimes in whorls of 3; petiole to 1.5 cm long, very slender, reddish. Lamina 2-9 × 0.5-4 cm, often smaller below fls, lanceolate to ovate or elliptic, glabrous, dentate, sinuate-dentate, or occasionally almost entire, often reddish on veins; base cuneate to rounded; apex acute to acuminate. Fls solitary in upper axils, pendulous. Pedicels (1)-2-6 cm long, filiform. Floral tube 6-12 mm long, narrow- to broad-cylindric, constricted at junction with ovary, usually rose or crimson, occasionally white. Sepals 1.25-2.5 cm × (2.5)-3-7 mm, narrow- to ovate-lanceolate, usually rose or crimson, occasionally white, not reflexing. Petals (7)-9-17 mm long, obovate, usually purple, rarely pale mauve or pink, imbricate. Episepalous stamens (0.7)-2-3.5 cm long, the epipetalous ones c. 5 mm shorter; filaments pink or red. Style (2)-3-5.5 cm long, hairy or glabrous, rose; stigma ± 4-lobed. Berry 1-2 cm long, oblong, glabrous, black.