A small undershrub, up to 60 cm tall, stellate hairy. Leaves ovate, ovate-elliptic or oblong-elliptic, 2-4 cm long, 1-2 cm broad, velvety on both sides, crenate-serrate, obtuse, apiculate or subtruncate; petiole 1-2 cm long, tomentose; stipules subulate, 2-3 mm long, hairy. Inflorescence 2-5-flowered, pseudoumbellate cyme or flowers solitary; peduncle up to 1 cm long. Flowers c. 1.5-2 cm across; pedicel 3-5(-10) mm long; bracts cordate-reniform, 5-8 mm long, 7-8 mm broad, becoming membranous, reticulately veined and enlarged to twice their original size in fruit. Sepals lanceolate or ovate, 4-7 mm long, 2-3 mm broad, densely hairy outside, sparsely within. Petals oblique, obovate, 7-10 mm long, c. 4 mm broad. Stamens c. 3 mm long. Ovary densely hairy. Capsule subglobose-globose, c. 4 mm in diameter, villous. Seeds obovate, brown-black.

Fl.Per.: Throughout the year.

Type: Probably described from Sudan.

Distribution: Tropical Africa, Arabia, Pakistan (Baluchistan, Sind).

The leaves and flowers are used as cooling agents and as blood purifiers.