Description: [syn. Honckenya ficifolia Willd.]
Shrub up to 3 m tall; young branches reddish, with dull yellowish to brownish stellate hairs. Leaves alternate, simple; stipules lanceolate, 8–12 mm long; petiole 0.5–9 mm long, with short and soft hairs; blade usually oblong to ovate, 1–15 cm × 1–12 cm, lower leaves 3–5-lobed, base rounded to subcordate, apex rounded, margin toothed, upper surface green and with stiff hairs or minutely soft hairy, lower surface short soft hairy to densely white hairy, 5–7-veined from the base. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary panicle up to 15 cm long, with 1–3-flowered axillary cymes up to 3.5 cm long; bracts conspicuous, unequal, caducous. Flowers bisexual, regular, 4(–5)-merous; pedicel 5–14 mm long; sepals up to 3.5 cm long, 6 mm wide, pinkish to purplish red; petals round, up to 3 cm × 2 cm, clawed, bright pink, purple or blue-mauve, rarely white; fertile stamens 16, yellow or pink, staminodes numerous; ovary superior, oblong, 4–8-celled, densely yellow-hairy. Fruit a capsule 3–7 cm × 18–25 mm, entirely covered with hairy prickles, each tipped with a bristle, many-seeded. Seeds round, c. 2 mm in diameter, greyish.3
= indicates flowering in past 14 days
= accession added within past 90 days