Eriocephalus microphyllus Dc.

Many-stemmed, markedly dichotomously but sparsely branched to densely intertwined shrub, 0.2-04-0.8 m high, 0.4-1.2 m in diameter. Old steins displaying anomalous secondary growth, grey-black; young shoots yellow-brown, initially felty or felty sericeous, glabrescent, glandular; older branches and stems yellow-brown to grey-brown to grey-black, 3-5 mm in diameter; brachyblasts short-lived, relatively short, 1-2 mm long. Leaves opposite, decussate on brachyblasts, densely imbricate, sometimes alternate on flowering shoots, linear, those on brachyblasts almost obtuse triangular, (1.2-)1.5-4.0(-7.0) x 0.6-0.8 mm, entire, blue-green, bright green to grey-green, felty at growing points, the rest felty sericeous to glabrescent, glandular (subsessile glands in cavities on leaves), adaxially flattened to slightly concave, strongly concave towards base, abaxially convex, slightly keeled towards obtuse to slightly acute apex, base semi-amplexicaul broadened. Capitula heterogamous disciform, terminal, racemose or spicate racemose or solitary on brachyblasts, rarely paniculate, 4-6 mm long; peduncles 1.5-11.0 mm long, felty to glabrous, glabrescent. Involucral bracts 4, ovate to broadly lanceolate, 2.3-4.0 x 1.0-1.5(-2.0) mm, central part red-purple to green, herbaceous with broad transparent membranous margin, appressed felty sericeous to glabrous, 2 slightly keeled, 2 laterally flattened, enveloped by the 2 keeled bracts. Paleae: those of marginal florets free, 3.2-4.5 mm long, keeled and enveloping single floret (mostly female), narrowly ovate to lanceolate, margins fringed, central part coriaceous, rigid with membranous margin, abaxially long-lanate, hairs septate; those of disc florets up to 2.5 mm long, broadly to narrowly lanceolate, outer slightly keeled, inner more flattened, membranous, margins and adaxially long-lanate. Marginal female florets (1)2(-4), 2.5-3.2 mm long; corolla white, narrowly tubular, narrowed around style, with short lamina, narrowly cuneate to oblong, 3-lobed or-toothed, 0.3-0.8 mm long, mostly shorter than point of style furcation, sometimes as long as style branches, abaxially with subsessile glands. Style branches linear, flattened, apex acute. Ovary oblong to oblanceolate, long-lanate. Seed 2.0-2.5 mm long, slightly flattish, trigonous. Disc florets (3)4-6(-8), functionally male with sterile ovary, 2.6-3.5 mm long; corolla tubular to trumpet-shaped, 5-lobed, proximal half cream-coloured, distal half gradually darker red-purple, with subsessile glands abaxially. Style cylindrical, unbranched, apex globose, with sweeping hairs. Stamens 5, slightly exserted at maturity. Receptacle after anthesis with long hairs between involucral bracts and marginal paleae.