Chaenostoma aethiopicum (L.) Benth.

Twiggy shrublet, many-stemmed from crown of thick woody stock, branches erect or decumbent, up to 150-300 mm long, main ones c. 2-4 mm in diam. at base, either weakly ridged by prominent vascular strands running up into the leaf bases or ± terete, glandular-puberulous, often with scattered ± hispid hairs as well, these up to c. 0.5-1 mm long, closely leafy on upper parts, brachyblasts present. Leaves opposite, largest primary leaves 6-20 x 1.5-5 mm, oblanceolate or narrowly cuneate, acute to subobtuse, base narrowed to a short petiolar part then abruptly expanded, half-clasping, ± connate, margins strongly to weakly revolute, usually with 1-2(-3) pairs of prominent teeth, smaller leaves sometimes entire, or teeth hidden by revolute margins, sometimes minutely glandular-puberulous on petiolar part, lower surface gland-dotted, otherwise leaf glabrous or with scattered ± hispid hairs up to c. 0.2-1 mm long, these hairs sometimes reduced to tiny scabrid projections. Flowers up to c. 16 in short terminal racemes, solitary in the axils of bracts or the lowermost pair in the axils of the uppermost pair of leaves. Bracts (lowermost) or uppermost pair of leaves c. 3-10 x 1.5-3.5 mm, lanceolate, otherwise leaf-like. Pedicels (lowermost) 4-20 mm long. Calyx bilabiate, tube 1.2-2.2 mm long, posticous lobes 3.6-5 x 0.6-1.1 mm, anticous lobes slightly broader, minutely glandular-puberulous with scattered coarse hairs as well up to 0.5-1 mm long. Corolla tube 10-19.5 x 3 mm in throat, narrowly funnel-shaped, limb almost regular, 10-14 mm across, posticous lobes 3.5-6.5 x 2-3 mm, anticous lobe 4.2-6.5 x 2.2-3.2 mm, all oblong-elliptic, shades of pink or violet, rarely white, throat yellow/orange, glandular-pubescent outside, hairs up to 0.2-0.3 mm long, a few glistening glands as well, clavate hairs inside throat arranged in 5 longitudinal bands. Stamens 4, anticous pair shortly exserted, filaments 1.7-2.5 mm long, posticous pair included, filaments 1-1.5 mm long, anthers 0.8-1.6 mm long. Stigma 2.5-4 mm long, exserted. Style 8-15 mm long. Ovary 1.4-1.8 x 0.8-1 mm, either glabrous or with a few glistening glands on the sutures. Capsules c. 4-6 x 2-2.5 mm. Seeds c. 0.5-0.8 x 0.3-0.4 mm, grey-blue or pallid.