Diosma dichotoma P.J.Bergius

Shrubs 0.5-0.6 m tall, spreading 1 m diam., forming a dense rounded bush with many stems arising from a stout underground root-stock. Branches fairly erect, glabrescent, greyish-brown, roughened with leaf scars. Branchlets numerous, erect, slender, minutely puberulous, reddish-brown where exposed, dichotomous or opposite. Leaves 1.5-4 mm long, 1.1-1.4 mm broad, lanceolate, acute opposite, decussate, adpressed-erect, sessile; hyaline margins narrow, minutely ciliolate; apex minutely callused; midrib fairly prominent; abaxial surface with large scattered gland dots. Inflorescence terminal, 1 to 3-nate, normally 2-nate, sessile, 8 mm diam., star-like, white; calyx thinly puberulous. Bract one to each flower, 1.8 mm long, 1.3 mm broad, ovate-lanceolate; apex with an elevated point; hyaline margins ciliolate; adaxial surface pubescent in the middle; abaxial surface gland-dotted, scabrid. Bracteoles two, 1.9 mm long, 0.9 mm broad, lanceolate, somewhat minutely pubescent on all sides, apex echinulate with a minute point; hyaline margins ciliolate; abaxially gland-dotted to either side of the midrib. Calyx lobes five, 2.4 mm long, 1.4 mm broad, deltoid-lanceolate, acute with an elevated sub-echinulate point; hyaline margins broad below, pinkish coloured, ciliolate; adaxial surface puberulous; abaxial surface scab-rid-puberulous, gland-dotted. Petals five, 3.6-3.8 mm long, 1.5-1.8 mm broad, oblong-lanceolate, acute, spreading widely; margins irregular, semi-translucent, very sparsely and minutely ciliolate, later curling inwards above; midrib slightly raised at the apex, one or two small gland dots. Staminodes absent. Filaments five, 2 mm long, acicular, glabrous. Anthers five, before anthesis 1.4 mm long, 0.7 mm broad, yellow; apex tapering to a recurved gland which exudes a droplet of nectar in the angle for the curve. Pollen 58 µ long, 28 µ broad, oblong. Disc stands wide open, sinuate-crenulate, green, minutely dimpled, exudes nectar, exceeds the ovary by a long way. Stigma 0.3 mm diam., capitellate, globose. Style becoming almost 2 mm long, glabrous, deflexed at first. Ovary 5-carpellate, 0.7 mm long, 0.8 mm diam., glabrous except for a few minute hairs around the globose apices of the carpels. Fruit 5-carpellate, 7.5 mm long, 7.5 mm diam.; carpels glabrous, abaxially dimpled with sunken oil glands; apex truncate, virtually hornless, radially narrowly cleft with an immersed gland at the outer end. Seed 5.7 mm long, 2.4 mm broad, black, shining; aril small, black at base.