Coleonema juniperinum Sond.

Shrubs 0.3-0.5 m tall, dense or if amongst other vegetation diffuse and sprawling, single-stemmed at base. Branches slender, tending to sprawl, variously bent, glabrous, smooth, longitudinally slightly wrinkled, reddish-brown. Branchlets numerous, extremely slender, virtually glabrous (most minutely puberulous at first), bright red, alternate. Leaves 5-7 mm long, 0.8 mm broad, linear-lanceolate, acute, mucronulate, glabrous, petiolate, alternate, adpressed erect, imbricate at first; hyaline margins thin, subserrulate, extremely narrow; abaxial surface convex with many gland-dots in two rows; adaxial surface flat when fresh. Inflorescence solitary, terminal or axillary towards the apices of the branch-lets, about 3 mm diam., white. Basal bracts ±four, 0.6-0.7 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm broad, lanceolate to ovate, mucronulate, ciliolate with broad translucent margins, glabrous; adaxially pubescent above. Bracteoles two, 0.8 mm long, 0.6 mm broad, elliptic, obtuse, ciliolate with broad translucent margins, glabrous, sacculate; midrib one or two gland-dotted, apex gibbous. Calyx lobes five, 1.1 mm long, 0.8 mm broad, oblong, obtuse; apex elevated, obtuse, reddened; margins ciliolate, broadly translucent; adaxial surface pubescent; abaxial surface glabrous, gland-dotted. Petals five, 2 mm long, 1.1 mm broad above narrowing evenly to the base, obovate, obtuse, minutely apiculate, glabrous; blade pappilose adaxially, sometimes pink-tipped outside; claw connate with the staminode below with a short elevated groove almost embracing the tip of the staminode and fitting neatly into the lateral grooves of the anthers before anthesis. Staminodes five, 0.7 mm long, fusiform, acute, glabrous. Filaments five, becoming 1.2 mm long, glabrous, acicular, elevating each anther in turn from between the petal ridges into the centre of the flower. Anthers five, 0.6 mm long, 0.4 mm broad, yellow; apical gland minute, sessile, globose. Pollen very variable, up to 33 µ long, 18 µ broad, elliptical with rather pointed ends. Disc obvallate, narrow, 5-lobed, green, exceeded by the ovary, nectariferous. Stigma 0.2 mm diam., capitellate. Style becoming 0.5 mm long, glabrous, erect. Ovary 5-carpellate, 0.6 mm long, 0.5 mm diam., glabrous, apices obtuse. Fruit 5-carpellate, 4.5 mm long, 4 mm diam.; carpels glabrous, multi-gland-dotted, reddened, strongly veined when dry; horns 0.5 mm long, spreading. Seed 3.1-3.3 mm long, 1.3-1.4 mm broad, black, shining; aril black.