Cliffortia recurvata (Weim.) C.Whitehouse

Erect, tall, spindly shrub, up to 3.6 m high, only forming long branches and very sparsely branched, branches clustered 2-4 together at a node, killed by fire; young stems 3.4-4.3 mm wide, completely sheathed by leaf bases but with upwardly adpressed hairs visible on young growth. Leaves unifoliate, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 64-74 x 20-27 mm, clasping stem at base, apex pungent, 2.6-4.0 mm long, margins flat, with 90-109 small straight teeth, 1.4-2.3 mm long, whole leaf often strongly keeled; lamina 13-18-veined from base, chartaceous to tough, 0.25-0.5 mm thick, strongly curved downwards and away from stem forming almost a semicircle, glabrous above and beneath; sheath 5.2-6.1 mm long, abaxially glabrous, adaxially with scattered, adpressed hairs but without a fringe of hairs at apex; stipule 0.9-1.4 mm long, sometimes absent, free, margin smooth; petiole absent. Flowers solitary in axil of undifferentiated leaves; bracteoles hairy on keel, margins smooth; sepals 3, glabrous. Male flowers: bracteoles 15-16 mm long; pedicel 2.1-2.4 mm long, hairy; sepals broadly ovate, 19-21 x 7.2-11.0 mm, acute to acuminate at apex; stamens 75-120; filaments 6.8-9.8 mm long, greenish white; anthers yellow. Female flowers: bracteoles 10.5-11.3 mm long, longer than immature receptacle; sepals ± triangular, 3.2-4.6 x 0.9-1.8 mm, erect; carpel 1; stigma 2-3 mm long, greenish white, feathery, hidden at base of leaves; immature receptacle 3.4-3.9 x 2.7-3.0 mm, hairy towards base, smooth. Achene ellipsoid, ± 8.1 x 4.8 mm, medium to dark brown, glabrous; ribs rounded. Margin smooth; petiole absent. Flowers solitary in axil of undifferentiated leaves; bracteoles hairy on keel, margins smooth; sepals 3, glabrous. Male flowers: bracteoles 15-16 mm long; pedicel 2.1-2.4 mm long, hairy; sepals broadly ovate, 19-21 x 7.2-11.0 mm, acute to acuminate at apex; stamens 75-120; filaments 6.8-9.8 mm long, greenish white; anthers yellow. Female flowers: bracteoles 10.5-11.3 mm long, longer than immature receptacle; sepals ± triangular, 3.2-4.6 x 0.9-1.8 mm, erect; carpel 1; stigma 2-3 mm long, greenish white, feathery, hidden at base of leaves; immature receptacle 3.4-3.9 x 2.7-3.0 mm, hairy towards base, smooth. Achene ellipsoid, ± 8.1 x 4.8 mm, medium to dark brown, glabrous; ribs rounded.