Mussaenda philippica A. Rich., Mem. Rubiac.: 165. 1830.

A bushy ornamental shrub, densely pubescent; branches terete and hairy. Leaves opposite, pairs unequal; petiole up to 3 mm long, densely pubescent; leaf blade up to 19 cm x 8 cm, ovate, ovate- elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, apex acuminate, base narrowed into a petiole, both surfaces pubescent, abaxial surface more dense with long hairs. Stipules interpetiolar, ca. 10 mm long, bifid to more than half towards base, branches linear, densely pubescent and recurved. Flowers in dense terminal paniculate cymes, pubescent. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, epigynous. Pedicels 2-3 mm long, pubescent. Bracts up to 8 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, pubescent, deciduous. Calyx tube/ hypanthium oblong, densely hairy, ca. 5 mm long and ca. 3 m broad; limb 5-lobed nearly to base, all 5 lobes expanded into colored leaves, the calcophylls. Calcophylls 6-8.5 cm x 4.8-6.2 cm, stipitate, stipe with 5- 10 brown multifid scales, pendant, petaloid, adaxially pink and abaxially ivory shaded, broadly ovate or more or less orbicular, membranous, persistent, densely pubescent on both surfaces, with 5 palmately longitudinal primary veins, secondary and tertiary veins finely reticulate, apex obtuse or rounded, mucronate. Corolla yellow, salverform; tube ca. 2.5 cm long, slender, 2 mm broader at base, abruptly inflated around anthers, ca. 3-3.5 mm broad, pubescent without, densely yellow or orange clavate pubescent in throat and extending below inside tube; limb ca. 2.5 cm across, 5-lobed, lobes ovate-elliptic, acuminate, ca. 10 mm x 7 mm, corolla with included parts caducous. Stamens 5, inserted in middle to upper part of corolla tube, included; filaments short, ca. 0.5 mm long; anthers 6 mm x 0.5 mm, base sagittate, basifixed. Disc annular, obscurely 5-lobed. Ovary inferior, epigynous, 2-locular, many ovules per loculus inserted on oblong, fleshy placentas; style short, ca. 3 mm long; stigmas 2-lobed, lobes linear, ca. 6 mm long, included.

^{Fruit a many-seeded berry with minute seeds. (Fruits not observed)}

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