Diascia appendiculata K.E.Steiner

Annual herb, rosulate, glabrous, simple or branching from base. Stems decumbent, up to 220 mm long, angular, up to 6-sided, ribs 2 or more, sides up to 2 mm wide. Leaves simple, alternate, opposite or whorled, petiolate, erect or spreading; lamina mostly oblong, but also ovate to obovate, 9-35 x 3-9 mm, apex acute to rounded, base attenuate; margins sinuate, pinnatipartite or pinnatisect, lobes up to ±5 mm long, ovate, obovate, oblong or deltoid, apices rounded to acute; petioles up to ±15 mm long; cauline leaves progressively smaller upwards. Flowers axillary, 1 or 2 open flowers per stem, nodding in bud, long pedicelate; pedicels 17-53 mm long, ascending, dorsiventrally flattened especially where attached to flower, elongating and spreading at right angles to stem in fruit, with an abrupt downward curve 3-4 mm from base of developing capsule. Calyx lobes 5, spreading, lanceolate, acuminate, margins white-ciliate, upper 3 segments ± equal, 2.4-3.1 x 1.0-1.6 mm, lower 2 segments slightly wider. Corolla bilabiate, 5-lobed, limb 7.4-14.3 x 7.7-14.8 mm; upper lobes ovate to obovate, 2.0-4.7 x 2.5-5.2 mm, outer sides longer than inner sides, apices rounded to emarginate, bases oblique; lateral lobes oblong-ovate, 2.5-4.6 x 2.8-4.6 mm, sides ± equal in length, apices rounded to emarginate, lower lobe obcordate, 3.1-5.0 x 3.6-6.4 mm, all lobes reddish lilac (14C4) to greyish magenta (14D6) on inner surface and violet-white to purplish white on reverse side, with scattered black or clear glandular trichomes on both sides; tube shallowly cupped, dark ruby to violet-brown, very shallowly bi-saccate, sacs or depressions 0.3-1.0 x 1.0-1.6 mm, 0.5-0.7 mm deep, yellow, oil-secreting trichomes clustered within; central stamen-bearing boss oblique, sparsely glandular pubescent, anticous portion 0.5-1.0 mm high, ruby, posticous portion ±2.0 mm high, yellow. Stamens 4, erect from the boss; filaments ruby, usually glabrous, occasionally covered with dark purple, clavate trichomes; anticous filaments (twisted at the base and appearing posticous) ± straight, 2.1-2.5 mm long, base strongly curved; posticous filaments ±2.3 mm long, with sterile appendages, ±0.8 mm from base, appendages 0.1-0.8 mm long, sometimes reduced in length to a small nub, filament above bend ±1.5 mm long; anthers 0.3 mm long, strongly cohering, greenish yellow; pollen orange. Ovary ovoid, laterally compressed contrary to septum, 1.2-1.5 x 0.8-1.1 mm, falciform; ovules 27-47; style ±1.2 mm long, deflected upwards, ± straight or curved forward near tip; stigma capitate, surrounded by anthers or emerging slightly. Capsule falciform ovoid, (5.0-)6.4-7.5 x (2.5-) 4.0-5.0 mm, about twice as long as calyx at maturity, base oblique, often resting on soil surface during development with pedicel ascending just before dehiscence. Seeds reniform, 1.3-1.5 mm long, dorsal surface with parallel ridges, ventral surface with oblong keyhole-like opening formed by extensions of seed coat, long sides of opening bearing reniform perforation; embryo curved.