Mat-forming, woody, creeping herb. Leaves 1-2 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, ovate, pointed, entire or with rounded teeth, slightly hairy with 1 pair of primary veins. Flowers solitary on lateral branches, the petals about 1.5 cm long,magenta to mauve; anthers of the larger stamens purple, of the smaller stamens yellow; summer to early winter. Syn. Schizocentron elegans (Schldl.) Meissn.

H. macrostachyum Naudin from Mexico is occasionally offered and is an erect herb with flowers in few-flowered clusters. Syn. H. roseum Brown & Bouché. The cultivar H. 'Green Cascade' PVJ 5(3)6 is available.

Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Melastomataceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.