Evergreen shrub, hermaphrodite, 0.5-1.5(2) m in height, irregular in shape, highly ramose, dark green, not viscous. Branches strong, upright, with a very characteristic bark, brown-reddish, that peels off into strips as it ages. Branchlets reddish. Leaves 2.5-6 \u00d7 1-2.2 cm, opposite, with a very characteristic petiole, widened at the base and sheathing the stem; leaves flat, ovate-lanceolate, acute, coriaceous, with smooth margin or, more frequently, undulate; dark green and glabrous on the upper side, whitish and tomentose on the underside; longitudinally transversed by 3-5 inconspicuous veins. Inflorescence umbelliform, terminal, with 2-7 flowers, usually accompanied by lateral and axillary inflorescences of 1-2 flowers. Flowers large, 5-7 cm in diameter, very large bracts, with the same shape as the leaves; pedicels and calyx tomentose. Calyx with 3 equal sepals, ovate-lanceolate. Petals 5, 20-30 \u00d7 15-28 mm, white with yellow base, although occasionally they have a purple macula at the base. Fruit in globose capsule, 9-12 mm, tomentose, which opens at maturity into (4)5 valves. Seeds rounded-polyhedral, with a verrucose surface in most of the North African populations. 2n = 18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-12984","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n