Chaenostoma leve (Hiern) Kornhall

Bushy perennial herb that will flower in the seedling stage, up to c. 600 mm tall, developing a woody stock (taproot) up to c. 10 mm in diam. at crown, branching from base, branches erect or decumbent, glandular-puberulous, hairs up to 0.1-0.2 mm long, densely leafy, often with axillary leaf tufts. Leaves opposite, bases connate, primary leaves up to c. 20-40 x 1-3.5(-9) mm, smaller upwards (axillary leaves also smaller), linear to narrowly elliptic, apex acute, base somewhat narrowed, margins entire to minutely toothed (2-6 pairs of teeth), both surfaces glandular-puberulous, glistening glands also present. Flowers innumerable in much-branched panicles terminating every branchlet, ultimate axes sometimes ± flexuous. Bracts up to c. 2.5-4.2 x 0.4-0.6 mm, leaflike but much smaller than the leaves. Pedicels (lowermost) c. 6-10(-16) mm long, filiform. Calyx obscurely bilabiate, tube 0.5-1.5 mm long, lobes 1.4-2.6 x 0.4-0.8 mm, lanceolate, glandular-puberulous with coarser hairs as well up to 0.25-0.7 mm long. Corolla tube 2.5-3.5 x 2-2.5 mm in throat, broadly funnel-shaped, limb almost regular, 5-7 mm across, posticous lobes 1.5-2.5 x 1.5-2 mm, anticous lobe 1.5-2.5 x 1.5-2.4 mm, all suborbicular, shades of mauve or pink, white sports not uncommon, tube yellow or orange, glandular-puberulous outside, glistening glands as well, clavate hairs inside all round throat. Stamens 4, all exserted, anthers 0.5-1 mm long, posticous filaments 1-2 mm long, anticous ones 2-2.8 mm. Stigma 1-1.8 mm long, exserted. Style 1.6-3.5 mm long, clad in glistening glands. Ovary 1-1.5 x 0.7-1 mm, glistening glands at apex and down sutures. Capsules 2-3.5 x 1.5-2.5 mm, glistening glands persistent. Seeds c. 0.5-0.7 x 0.25-0.3 mm, pallid. Flowering principally between December and May.