Anthospermum comptonii Puff

Dioecious dwarf shrub, many-stemmed, ± regularly to diffusely branched, rounded to ± cylindrical or, if browsed, low cushion-like; with thick woody, sometimes twisted (tap-)root to c. 10(-20) mm in diam. Stems to c. (200-)300 mm long, branches few to numerous, ascending to ± erect, often irregular and ± spine-tipped if browsed. Leaves decussate; blades 5-8(-10) x 0.8-1.2 mm, narrowly ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate (broader, to 2 mm, on new growth of browsed plants), thickish and ± tough, glabrous except for odd papillae on margins; upper surface shiny, with large conspicuous epidermis cells, midrib below often ± prominent and broad; margins usually revolute; petioles subobsolete; stipular sheath with an often indistinct minute seta. Flowers subsessile (in fruiting ('female') pedicels occasionally c. 0.2-1 mm long), single or paired at nodes; corolla 4-merous, (greenish) yellow or (dark) purplish at least outside, glabrous or occasionally papillate near tip ('male'): buds 3.5-4.2 mm long; tube 1-1.7 mm long, (narrowly) funnel-shaped, lobes 2.7-3.2 x 0.7-1 mm; anthers 1.9-2.4 mm long; small rudimentary ovary present, often with broad ± rounded calyx lobes to 0.3 mm long ('female'): tube 0.1-0.2 mm long or ± 0, lobes 0.7-0.8(-1) x 0.2-0.3 mm; style ±0-0.7 mm long; stigmas 2, 2.7-5.6 mm long; ovary 1-1.4 x 0.5-0.9 mm, with ± indistinct calyx lobes. Fruit reddish brown, shiny; mericarps 2.7-3 x 1.5-1.7 mm, ± obovate, glabrous or(rarely)with odd papillae, with 2 ± indistinct, rounded to ± triangular calyx lobes c. 0.1-0.3 x 0.3 mm.