A perennial plant growing up to 1m. Stems to 4 m tall, glabrous except for inflorescences; branches and branchlets whitish gray, terete, finely striate. Leaves usually opposite; petiole 3-6 mm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate, 1-8 X 0.5-2.2 cm, base rounded or cuneate, margin denticulate, apex acute or obtuse, mucronate. Sepals narrowly elliptic or narrowly ovate, ca. 1.5 mm. Corolla purplish red or pink; tube campanulate, 6-8 mm, granulose; lobes 3-4 mm. Disc fleshy, 5-lobed; lobes rounded, base adnate to ovary. Follicles slender, 8-20 cm X 2-3 mm. Seeds ovoid or ellipsoid, 2-3 mm, coma 1.5-2.5 cm.

Cardiotonic, diuretic and hypotensive (leaves or the whole herb)

Plants For A Future
Flora of China

The leaves or the whole herb is used in the treatment of hypertensive headache, dizziness, insomnia, irritability, dysuria or oliguria and nephritic oedema. It increases the renal blood flow and can be used for renal and cardiac oedema and ascites of liver cirrhosis.