Aeschynanthus hookeri - Parasite Blushwort

Parasite Blushwort is a shrub with stems about 40 cm, hairless. Oppositely arranged leaves are carried on stalks 6-10 mm long. Leaves are narrowly elliptic to oblong, 7-9 x 2.3-4 cm, thick leathery, hairless, adaxially drying smooth or wrinkled, abaxially not punctate, base broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex acuminate. Flowers are borne in 4-10-flowered clusters. Bracts are persistent, green, triangular to lanceolate, 5-9 X 1.5-3 mm. Flower-stalks are 1-1.5 cm, hairless. Sepal cup is red or purple, 1-1.3 cm, 5-lobed from above to near middle - tube 5-6 mm in diameter at mouth. Sepals are ovate to broadly triangular, 3-7 X 2.2-3.2 mm. Flowers are scarlet to orange-scarlet, 2.5-3 cm, outside softly hairy, inside hairless, mouth slightly oblique. Limb is indistinctly 2-lipped, lips nearly equal, about 4.5 mm. Stamens protrude out with filaments 2.6-3 cm long, and anthers curiously coherent in pairs at tip, 2.5-3 mm. Style is shorter than the stamens, about 1.2 cm. Capsule is about 30 cm. Parasite Blushwort is found in Eastern Himalayas, from Nepal to NE India, Assam, N. Burma, W. China, at altitudes of 1600-2700 m. Flowering: June-July.