Shrubs up to 1.5 m tall, rigidly erect, fairly diffuse, arising from a single stem with a maximum diameter of about 3 cm at the base, standing above the general level of the vegetation. Branches erect, glabrous, dichotomous, with a fairly smooth bark. Branchlets on mature plants very short, erect, virtually glabrous, well clothed with leaves but soon becoming leafless. Leaves 3-4.5 mm long, 1.2-1.4 mm broad, oblong, obtuse, eciliate, glabrous, erect, adpressed, sessile, alternate, with pustulate gland-dots scattered mainly towards the midrib. Inflorescence terminal, 1-or 2-nate, sessile, 5 mm diam., yellow in bud, cream when open displaying the cup filled with nectar and the red-tipped staminodes on the lobes of the disc. Bract 1.1 mm long, 0.8 mm broad, deltoid, thick, obtuse, glabrous, appressed, with pustulate gland-dots, sparsely ciliolate below. Bracteoles two, 1 mm long, 0.7 mm broad, oblong, obtuse, thick, glabrous, margins narrow, ciliolate below, pustulate with gland-dots. Calyx lobes five, 1.2 mm long, 1.2 mm broad, ovate or sub-orbicular, thickened at the apex, glabrous, margins translucent, ciliolate, pustulate with gland-dots towards the midrib on the outside, pubescent inside. Petals five, 2.2 mm long, 1.5 mm broad, oblong, glabrous, sessile, cream coloured, spreading. Staminodes five, 0.2 mm long, 0.1 mm diam., apices reddened. Filaments five, becoming 1 mm long, glabrous, acicular. Anthers five, before anthesis 0.8 mm long, 0.7 mm broad, yellow, apical gland 0.2 mm diam. Pollen about 43 µ long, 25 µ diam., oblong. Disc 5-sinuate-crenulate, stands open, exceeds the ovary, green, exudes nectar. Stigma 0.3 mm diam., capitellate, 5-lobed at first becoming globose, green, sticky. Style becoming 0.8 mm long, glabrous, erect. Ovary 5-carpellate, 0.9 mm diam., glabrous, apex of each carpel with a large translucent gland. Fruit (from Williams 1575) 5-carpellate, 7 mm long, 6 mm diam., carpels reddened with horns green, short, spreading, rather thickened at the apex, sometimes recurved with the apical gland now on the underside. Seed (from Williams 1575) 6.3 mm long, 2.5 mm broad, black, shining.
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Shrub, up to 1.5 m high, erect, arising from a single stem at base. Leaves 3.0-4.5 x 1.2-1.4 mm, eciliate, glabrous, sessile, alternate, with pustulate gland dots scattered mainly towards midrib. Flowers terminal, solitary or 2-nate, sessile, yellow in bud, cream-coloured when open. Calyx: lobes 5, 1.2 x 1.2 mm, ovate or suborbicular. Petals 5, cream-coloured, 2.2 x 1.5 mm, oblong, glabrous, sessile, spreading. Stamens 5; anthers with apical gland 0.2 mm in diam.; staminodes 5, 0.2 mm long, apices reddened. Disc well developed, sinuate-crenulate, 5-lobed, exudes nectar, standing open, exceeding ovary. Ovary 5-carpellate, apex of each carpel with a large translucent gland. Flowering time mainly Sept.-Dec. Fruit 5-carpellate, 7 mm long, 6 mm in diam.; carpels reddened with horns, green, short, spreading, rather thickened at apex, sometimes recurved with apical gland now on under side.
Like D. passerinoides but single-stemmed, branchlets glabrous and leaves with pustulate, gland dots mainly near midrib.
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