Anthospermum aethiopicum L.

Dioecious shrub, single-stemmed, erect, c. (0.5-)0.75-2 m tall. Stems sparingly to much branched above, branches often regular and ternate, curving upwards to ± erect, in ('male') frequently more numerous than in('female'). Leaves in whorls of 3, pseudo-verticillate; blades 3-9(-13) x (0.3-)0.5-1.2(-2) mm (in('male') often smaller than in('female')), narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate to linear, glabrous or occasionally very shortly hairy near base; stipular sheath with a small triangular to subulate seta. Flowers subsessile, in clusters of very many(to many: ('male')) at nodes, inflorescences dimorphic, in('female') very conspicuous, much contracted, ± cylindrical inflorescence zones c. (35-)50-170 mm long; corolla 4-merous, creamy yellow, greenish yellow or pale yellow, glabrous or ± papillate ('male'): tube (0.2-)0.4-0.9(-1.2) mm, (broadly)funnel-shaped, lobes (1.2-)1.6-2.5(-2.9) x 0.6-1.2(-1.4) mm; anthers 1-1.8 mm long; small rudimentary ovary present ('female'): tube 0.1-0.4(-0.6) mm long, lobes 0.1-0.5(-0.7) x 0.1-0.2(-0.4) mm; style ±0-0.7 mm long; stigmas 2, 4-6.3 mm long; ovary c. 0.6-0.9 x 0.5-0.7 mm. Fruit reddish brown to dark grey brown; mericarps (1.4-)1.7-2.5(-2.7) x 0.8-1(-1.2) mm, oblong, elliptic to narrowly obovate, glabrous and often with large, conspicuous epidermis cells or, less commonly, papillate, with 51 mm distinct rounded to ± triangular calyx lobes c. 0.1-0.2 mm long or calyx lobes ± lacking.