Fls reddish purple, sepals broad, obtuse; racemes short, in fl. c. = elliptic-oblong lvs. Fls widely spaced with long pedicels.

2n = 120

n = 59

2n = 118

2n = 118

Low spreading or decumbent shrub forming mounds up to 0.7 m tall × 3 m wide. Mature stems greyish-white; branches semi-erect or ascending, often spreading and then rooting from nodes. Branchlets greenish-yellow, occasionally spotted maroon-black, drying grey-black, minutely puberulent when young; internodes 1-16 × stem diameter. Leaf bud without sinus, olive green in colour. Leaves lanceolate-elliptic or oblanceolate, rarely obovate, (2-)4.5-7.5 × (0.9-)1.3-2(-2.5) cm, coriaceous, olive green or dark green with pale yellow midrib; surface glossy, ± glabrous except for sparse minute eglandular hairs on the adaxial surface; apex white or greenish-white, obtuse to subacute, often apiculate; base attenuate; margin entire, often markedly thickened, ± recurved, greenish-yellow or greenish-white. Inflorescences lateral, racemose, 2—5(—7) cm long, distal part usually comprised of aborted and withered flower buds (often falling and leaving a truncated raceme); flowers widely spaced on rachis, rarely crowded towards apex of raceme, pedicellate, loosely spiralled. Rachis maroon- black, densely covered in minute white eglandular hairs. Peduncle greenish yellow, often spotted or streaked maroon, rarely entirely maroonblack, sparsely puberulent, 1-3.5 cm long. Floral bracts fleshy, ovate-elliptic, obtuse to subacute, either green-spotted maroon, or entirely maroon-black, ± glabrous with ciliolate margins, 0.5-1 mm long. Pedicels patent, 3-5(-6) mm long, densely covered in white minute, eglandular hairs. Flowers, hermaphrodite, faintly scented; calyx lobes fleshy, ovate, subacute, maroon-black, overlapping at edges (2)- 3-4 mm long; ± glabrous or sparsely covered in minute eglandular hairs; margin ± alternating glandular- eglandular ciliolate. Corolla crimson or magenta (but white-flushed pink beneath calyx lobes), fading to rose-pink or violet-purple after anthesis; tube 5-6 mm long, broadly truncate, inner surface sparsely hairy; lobes erect to suberect, ovate to subacute, 5-6 × 3-4 mm. Anthers red-purple, subacute, 1.5 mm long; pollen pale yellow; filaments crimson, 11-13 mm long, straight in bud, curving outwards after anthesis. Nectarial disc glabrous, fleshy, dark green; nectar viscid, clear. Styles carmine, glabrous, 8—10 mm long; stigma white, capitate. Ovary light green, ovoid or ellipsoid, glabrous, 2-3 × 0.6- 1.5 mm. Capsule dark brown, broadly ovate, subacute, 6.5-8 × 5-6 mm, glabrous, septicidal to base. Seeds greenish-brown, ovoid, slightly papillate with a faint pink margin, 1.8 × 1.2—1.4 mm. Chromosome number n = 59 (Hair 1967, fig. 25, p. 328, CHR 103080), 2n = 118 (B. G. Murray pers. comm., AK 227425). FL Dec-May, however, in cultivation sporadic flowering may be noted at any time of the year.