Diastella proteoides Druce

A low, sprawling, muph divaricate shrub, to 50 cm in height, forming diffuse mats up to 3 m in diam., with a single main trunk; branches horizontally sprawling. Stems 1-2 mm in diam., puberulous, with a short crisped indumentum interspersed with long, straight trichomes. Leaves linear, obtuse, semi-terete, upper surface slightly concave; 5-15 mm long, subsecund to ascending; glabrous or with a few spreading trichomes. Inflorescences 1 cm in diam., sessile, obconic becoming obconic-depressed on opening. Involucre 2-3 seriate. Involucral bracts lanceolate-acuminate, occasionally acute, 5-10 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, outer surface pubescent, inner surface sparsely sericeous proximally, margins ciliate. Floral bracts linear, 5 mm long, hyaline, sericeous. Perianth 7-10 mm long, straight, pink, claws sericeous; limbs lanceolate acute, glabrous; anthers sessile. Style straight, 10 mm long, tapering terminally, lower third minutely pubescent. Pollen presenter linear-acute 0.5 mm long. Ovary ovoid, 1 mm long, sericeous. This species flowers erratically throughout the year but principally from July to February.