Shrub, 1-3 m high; stem 4-angled, villous or shortly hairy, hardly woody; leaves opposite or whorled, subsessile, obovate, oblong or subelliptic, acuminate, cuneate, serrate, glabrous at maturity; flowers in terminal, pyramidal, about 30 cm long panicles; pedicels densely hairy; bracts often prominant, coloured, lanceolate, pubescent, subpersistent; bracteoles absent; calyx cup shaped, pubescent, limbs unequal, very shortly 5-lobed, slightly enlarged and embracing the fruit; corolla bluish or purplish, unequal, tube narrow, cylindric, mouth oblique, 2-lipped, limbs oblong or elliptic, obtuse, spreading; stamens-4, didynamous, much exserted, anthers unappendagd; ovary 4-locular, ovule solitary in each locule, style short, stigma oblique; drupe obovoid, 4-pyrened, succulent, purple or black at maturity; fruiting calyx cupuliform; seeds oblong, glabrous, smooth.