Barleria saxatilis Oberm.

Spiny compact shrublet to sprawling or subscandent perennial herb, 30-90 cm tall; stems sparsely strigose, with numerous fine white retrorse or spreading hairs evenly distributed or restricted to two opposite sides, nodes strigose. Leaves oblong, elliptic or somewhat ovate to obovate, 1.2-3 (4.7) x 0.6-1.5 (2) cm, base cuneate, attenuate or obtuse, apex acute to rounded with ± prominent mucro, surfaces strigose, hairs most numerous on margin and veins beneath; lateral veins 3-4 (5) pairs; petiole to 5 mm. Inflorescence axillary, a contracted unilateral cyme 1-3.5 cm long, each (1) 3-10-flowered; bracteoles green, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, pairs unequal, the longer 6-17 x 1-3.5 mm excluding the (1) 2-6 lateral spines to 1-5 mm, apex spinose, midrib pale and prominent, sterile pairs sometimes persisting at lower nodes. Calyx at first pale green or pinkish with dark green or purple venation, later turning pale brown-scarious; anterior lobe elliptic or ovate, 8-17 (20) x 3.5-8 mm, base shortly attenuate or rarely obtuse, margin with 4-8 slender lateral spines 1.5-5 mm long ending in a short bristle, apex spinose, surface strigose along veins, often with short spreading glandular hairs on spines; posterior lobe ovate or lanceolate, 10-22 x 4.5-10.5 mm, marginal spines to 6 mm long, apex attenuate into a long spine; lateral lobes linear-lanceolate, 3.5-10 mm long. Corolla (chasmogamous flowers) 27-39 mm long, pale pink, lilac or (blue-)mauve, sometimes white-flowered plants within a population, eglandular-pubescent and glandular-pilose externally; tube 16.5-25 mm long, cylindrical, narrowly campanulate towards mouth; limb in weak 2+3 arrangement or subregular; abaxial lobe 11-14 x 5.5-7.5 mm; lateral lobes 10-13 x 4.5-8.5 mm; adaxial lobes 9-12.5 x 3-5 mm; cleistogamous flowers sometimes present, appearing as cylindrical buds. Stamens attached 10-11 mm from base of corolla tube; filaments 15-18 mm long; anthers (1.7) 2-2.4 mm long; lateral staminodes 1.5-2.5 mm long, pubescent, antherodes c.0.7 mm long. Ovary with ring of few crisped white hairs at apex; style glabrous; stigma linear, 0.35-0.7 mm long. Capsule 10-13.5 mm long, glabrous. Seeds 3.5-4.5 mm long and wide.