It is a perennial and has a long period of blooming. The leaves are arrow-shaped in form, and the lobes at the base more elongated, placed singly along the stem at very regular intervals. From the axils of the leaves - the points at which their stalks join the main stem-spring the flower-stalks, one to each leaf all up the stem. These flower-stalks often fork into two smaller ones, each bearing a bud. One of these lesser stalks is almost invariably smaller than the other, bearing a bud in an earlier stage of development, so that although the buds occur in pairs on the flower-stem, the flowers never expand at the same time, but always appear singly. At the junction of the flower-stalk and the main stem are a pair of very small scale-like bracts. The flowers have trumpet-shaped corollas which vary a great deal in colour. On the underside are five dark pink rays. In the bud the petals are folded into five pleats, the outermost part of the fold being these deep pink rays. At the bottom of the flower are what appear to be the mouths of five tubes, or pipes, running downwards, the tubes being formed by the flattened filaments of the stamens being joined to the corolla tube and yet projecting ridge-like into the flower. These tubes lead to the nectar which is contained in five small sacs, one at the base of each tube.

The root, and a resin made from the root, is cholagogue, diuretic, laxative and strongly purgative. Anticonvulsive (EtOH plant extract); nicotinic (plant extract); induces gastrointestinal irritation (thus, it is considered toxic).

Plants for a Future
PIER