Evergreen shrub, hermaphrodite, up to 1.5(2) m in height, erect, ramose; highly valued by livestock, therefore often presenting an almost prostrate, hemispherical shape. Stems straight in humid areas and tortuous in drier places. Bark greyish. Branches and branchlets extended or erect, subtetragonal, covered with short, white hairs. Leaves opposite (1-4.5 \u00d7 0.5-2 cm), from ovate to lanceolate, acute or obtuse, with margin entire or clearly lobulate, attenuated at the base, shortly petiolate, glabrous and bright green on the upper side, tomentose-whitish on the underside. In drier areas and when grazed by livestock leaves can be somewhat coriaceous. Inflorescence in short terminal racemes. Flowers usually solitary, axillary. Calyx campanulate, with short tube, ending in 5 sepals, longly triangular, glabrous and green inside, whitish-tomentose on the outside. Corolla (1.5-2.5 cm) bluish-white, pinkish, lilac or pale violet, with very short tube and a single elongated lip with 5 unequal lobes, the terminal lobe much larger. Stamens 4, long, borne straight together with the style, and then bent into semicircle on the lip, without touching it. Fruit is formed by the union of 4 small nuts, included in the persistent calyx.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-13296","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n