Prostrate, decumbent or erect shrub to c. 70 cm high; branchlets finely pubescent. Leaves spreading or erect, linear to oblanceolate, 5–18 mm long, 0.6–3 mm wide, mucronate, flat to convex, glabrous or scabridulous, lower surface usually paler; margins sparsely denticulate-ciliolate. Flowers solitary or rarely 2 or 3 close together; bracts, bracteoles and sepals ± mucronate; bracts 0.5–2.4 mm long; bracteoles 2.5–3.5 mm long; sepals ovate to ovate-oblong, 4.2–7 mm long; corolla red; tube cylindric, 7–12 mm long, constricted at base and/or apex, inside with 5 tufts of hairs, or rarely, a complete ring of hairs toward base, glabrous or sparsely hairy above; lobes narrowly triangular, 2.5–5.3 mm long, acute-mucronate, densely bearded inside except at tip; anthers ± exserted from corolla tube, style 5–15 mm long. Fruit spherical to ellipsoid, 5–10 mm long, green when ripe but often tinged or becoming completely dark purple. Flowers Jan.–Jul.