Aeschynanthus bracteatus var. orientalis W. T. Wang; A. bracteatus var. peelii (J. D. Hooker & T. Thomson) C. B. Clarke; A. peelii J. D. Hooker & Thomson.

Stems 25-150 cm, glabrous. Leaves opposite; petiole 5-20 mm; leaf blade broadly lanceolate to elliptic, ovate, or obovate, 4.4-13 X 1.5-6.1 cm, leathery to papery, glabrous, adaxially drying wrinkled or smooth, abaxially few punctate, base cuneate to rounded or subcordate, margin entire to shallowly dentate, frequently undulate, sometimes revolute, apex caudate to acuminate; lateral veins indistinct. Cymes axillary or pseudoterminal, 2-7-flowered; peduncle (0.5-)3-7 cm; bracts usually persistent, red to purple, lanceolate to ovate, 1.5-3 X 0.6-1.4 cm. Pedicel 6-12(-20) mm, glabrous. Calyx red, 5-sect from base; segments linear to lanceolate, 1.2-1.9 cm X 2-4 mm, outside glabrous. Corolla red to pink or purple, 3.2-4.2 cm, glabrous, mouth strongly oblique; limb indistinctly 2-lipped; adaxial lip erect, 6-8 mm; abaxial lip reflexed, 6-8 mm. Stamens exserted; filaments ca. 2.5 cm; anthers coherent in pairs at apex, 1.8-2.5 mm; staminode ca. 0.5 mm. Pistil ca. 2.8 cm; ovary glandular puberulent. Style 4-6 mm, glandular puberulent. Capsule 7-16(-21) cm. Seeds with 1 hairlike appendage at each end, appendages 1.8-3 mm. Fl. Jun-Oct, fr. Jul-Jan.

There are apparently two distinct races in Aeschynanthus bracteatus which have been called varieties. We do not consider the distinctions strong enough to recognize taxonomically; however, in SE Yunnan there is a race which can usually be distinguished from typical A. bracteatus. This race usually has leaf blades broader (elliptic to oblong or obovate) and thicker (leathery), and which dry flat adaxially and frequently abaxially cinnamon reddish. In contrast typical A. bracteatus specimens have leaf blades lanceolate to narrowly ovate and thin leathery to papery which dry rugose adaxially and abaxially usually yellowish green.

On trees in forested valleys and on streamside cliffs; 900-3200 m. NW Guangxi, SE Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Myanmar].