Eriocephalus microcephalus Dc.

Vigorous, much-branched shrubs, 0.5-1.2 m high. Old stems and branches glabrous, displaying anomalous secondary growth, bark grey; young shoots erect, straight, shortly sericeous. Leaves opposite, alternate on flowering shoots, clustered on brachyblasts, sessile on cushion like thickenings, linear, 3-20 x 1-5 mm, mostly entire, rarely pinnatisect, 3-lobed, adaxially flattened, concave towards base, abaxially convex, slightly keeled, permanently densely appressed silvery sericeous, apex acute, base slightly broadened. Capitula heterogamous radiate, 4-10, umbellate-racemose, terminal, 5-7 mm long; peduncles 4-8 mm long, densely sericeous. Involucral bracts 4, ovate, 4-5 x 2.5-4.0 mm, central part herbaceous to slightly coriaceous, apex obtuse, rarely acute, slightly fringed, margins brownish or blackish; 2 bracts narrow and slightly keeled, other 2 broader and flattened, overlapped by margins of narrow bracts. Paleae: those of marginal florets connate at base, broadly ovate, keeled, 6-7 mm long, coriaceous central part with membranous, fringed margins, abaxially long-lanate, hairs septate; those of outer disc florets ovate, of inner ones narrowly oblong to lanceolate, 6-7 x 1-3 mm, membranous, acute, margins and abaxially long-lanate. Rays 2 or 3; corolla tube 2-3 mm long, pale brown; lamina broadly oblong or oblong-cuneate, 6-7 x 4-6 mm, cream-coloured, obtuse, 3(or 4)-lobed. Style branches flattened, linear, acuminate, 2.5-4.0 mm long. Ovary (and cypsela) narrowly oblong, densely long-lanate. Seed 2-3 mm long, slightly flattened. Disc florets 8-12, functionally male with sterile ovary; corolla light brown to creamy, tubular, gradually widening distally, 3.5-4.0 mm long, 5-lobed; lobes acute, 0.5 mm long. Style unbranched with slight convex apex surrounded by short sweeping hairs. Stamens 5,1.2-2.0 mm long, barely exserted at maturity. Receptacle after anthesis with dense indumentum between marginal paleae and involucral bracts, white or tawny to brown.