Chaenostoma glabratum Benth.

Coarse herb or shrublet, c. 150-450 mm tall, many-stemmed from the base, erect or decumbent, virgately branched, main branches c. 2-4 mm in diam., either terete or almost imperceptibly ridged by lines decurrent from the leaf bases and midrib, minutely glandular-puberulous, hairs up to 0.1-0.2 mm long, leafy, axillary vegetative buds usually small and inconspicuous, or wanting. Leaves opposite, bases connate, largest c. 10-35 x 0.8-3 mm, linear to oblong, apex obtuse, margins strongly revolute to plane (these leaves the broadest), entire, indumentum as on stems. Flowers solitary in axils of upper leaves thus forming leafy racemes or sometimes branching into narrow panicles. Bracts (the upper leaves) c. 3-18 x 0.5-1.8 mm at base of inflorescence, smaller upwards. Pedicels (lowermost) 5-25 mm long, stout. Calyx bilabiate, tube 1-2 mm long, posticous lobes 3-4.7 x 0.4-0.8 mm, anticous lobes a little broader, glandular-puberulous, some hairs up to 0.1-0.3 mm long but coarse hairs wanting. Corolla tube 12.5-17 x 2.5-3.5 mm in throat, funnel-shaped, limb almost regular, 10-15 mm across, posticous lobes 3-7 x 24 mm, anticous lobe 3-7 x 24.5 mm, all oblong-elliptic, white to pink, lilac-mauve or reddish, tube yellow, glandular-puberulous, hairs up to 0.1-0.2 mm long, glistening glands as well, 5 longitudinal bands of clavate hairs inside. Stamens 4, anticous pair exserted, posticous pair in throat, anthers 1-1.3 mm long, posticous filaments 1.4-2.2 mm long, anticous ones 2.2-3 mm. Stigma 1.6-3.5 mm long, exserted. Style 9.5-13 mm long. Ovary 1.4-2 x 1 mm, a few glistening glands on sutures or glabrous. Capsules 5-8 x 2.5-3 mm. Seeds c. 1 x 0.4 mm (few seen), pallid. Flowering principally between July and December, one record in April.