Diosma subulata J.C.Wendl.

Shrubs up to 1.8 m tall, erect, single-stemmed at base with a dense crown of flowering heads. Branches erect, sometimes dichotomous, variously angled, glabrescent; bark smooth when green with horizontal leaf scars. Branchlets erect, short, crisped-puberulous, pinkish in colour, well clothed with leaves. Leaves vary in size being largest on young vigorous shoots and smallest towards the tips of the branchlets of the older shrubs, up to 17 mm long, 2.9 mm broad, average 11 mm long, 2 mm broad, linear-lanceolate (almost awl-shaped), acute with a straight sharp point, somewhat complicate when dry, glabrous, scabrous, erect, straight or sub-falcate, mostly opposite except in vigorous young shoots, the largest leaves may have a few hairs in the hollow towards the base; midrib prominent with about two rows of gland dots to either side; hyaline margins narrow, serrulate and ciliate becoming eciliate; petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence terminal, solitary in very much reduced racemes; flowers c. 6 mm diam., petals white. Bract one, 4 mm long, 1.2 mm broad, leaf-like, lanceolate, mucronate, glabrous, ciliolate below, sessile, inflexed. Bracteoles two at the base of the pedicel, 1.8 mm long, 0.6 mm broad, lanceolate, glabrous, ciliolate, pallid, assymmetrical. Calyx lobes five, 2.3 mm long, 1.8 mm broad, deltoid, acute, mucronulate, glabrous, ciliolate, pinkish. Petals five, 2.5 mm long, 1.6 mm broad, ovate, glabrous, sparsely ciliolate below, sessile. Staminodes none. Filaments five, becoming reflexed and 2 mm long, acicular, glabrous. Anthers five, before anthesis 0.7 mm long, 0.7 mm broad, reddish-orange; apical gland minute. Pollen 60 µ long, 27 µ broad, obloid, very slightly narrowed in the middle. Disc 5-sinuate-crenulate, fleshy, exceeds the ovary by a long way, exudes nectar. Stigma 0.2 mm diam., capitellate, green. Style seldom deflexed at first, becoming 1.3 mm long, glabrous. Ovary 5-carpellate, 0.7 mm diam., glabrous. Fruit 5-carpellate, 10 mm long overall, glabrous, multi-gland-dotted; horns 2 mm long, apex somewhat bifid. Seed 5.5 mm long, 5.7 including the aril, 2.6 mm broad, black, shining; aril black and white.