Anthospermum esterhuysenianum Puff

Subshrub, ± woody near base and with woody tap root or ± dwarf shrub, mat-forming or trailing, ('bisexual'), ('bisexual') + ('female'), ('female') or occasionally ('male'). Stems c. (60-)120-300 mm long, prostrate, mostly much branched, branches often single at nodes or, if paired, frequently of unequal length. Leaves decussate, sometimes ± pseudo-verticillate, occasionally slightly anisophyllous; blades 4-6(-7.5) x (1.4-)2-3(-4) mm, oblong, elliptic, ovate, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, glabrous or margins and often also upper sur-face with white spreading hairs c. 0.2-0.4 mm long; petioles ± 0-0.5 mm long; stipular sheath with a small seta. Flowers solitary, terminal on shoots, often overtopped by lateral branches arising below, shortly pedicellate, pedicels c. 0.2-0.3(-1) mm long, often slightly elongated and curved in fruit; corolla 5-merous (very rarely 4-merous), yellowish to greenish yellow, of-ten dark purplish tinged outside, glabrous or hairy. ('bisexual'), ('male'): tube 1-1.8(-2) mm long, ± cylindrical or narrowly funnel-shaped, lobes (2-)2.2-3(-3.5) x 0.5-1(-1.3) mm; anthers 1.4-1.9 mm long; ('male'): rudimentary ovary minute; ('bisexual'): gynoecium as in ('female'), ('female'): tube ±0-0.3 mm long, lobes 0.6-0.9 x 0.4 mm; style 0; stigmas 2, (4.5-)5.5-7.5(-9) mm long; o-vary c. 0.8-1.2 x 0.7-1 mm, with 5 minute calyx lobes. Fruit brownish; mericarps 1.9-2.5 x 1.3-1.5 mm, ovate, ± obovate or oblong, ± densely papillate, mostly with 2 or 3 indistinct calyx lobes (0.2-)0.3-0.5 x 0.2 mm.