Hermannia alnifolia L.

Suffrutex, varying from prostrate to semi-erect, occasionally scrambling, usually about 40 cm tall but varying from 30 cm to 2 m, branchlets stellate-pubescent, hairs up to 0.5 mm long, stellate hairs often raised on tubercles (occasional specimens with long hairs may be hybrids). Stipules narrowly to broadly ovate, rounded or deeply cordate at base, sometimes auricled, lobes (auricles) decurrent on branchlets, usually abruptly narrowed into a cuspidate or caudate apex, finely stellate-tomentose. Leaves subrotund or broadly oblong, cuneate at base, rarely ovate, 3-25 mm long, 2.5-18 mm broad, finely stellate-tomentose on both surfaces, lower white-tomentose, nerves on lower surface subplicate, prominent, margins crenate, sometimes with a bristle ±5 mm long on each rounded lobe; petiole 1-5 mm long, stellate-pubescent. Inflorescence of racemose or sometimes paniculate cymes, ultimate cymes 2-3-flowered; branches stellate-tomentose; pedicels usually of unequal length, 1-4.5 mm long; bracts on main branchlets of inflorescence mostly ovate-acuminate, sometimes with caudate apex, cordate at base, lobes sometimes decurrent, about 3 mm long (rarely a long, oblanceolate bract up to 4.5 mm), bracts at base of cymes smaller and usually deeply 3-lobed, about 1.5 mm long. Calyx campanulate, usually with wide sinuses between subulate teeth, 3-4 mm long, teeth about 1.5 mm long, texture rather thin, sparsely to fairly densely stellate-pubescent without, hairs remaining especially along the 5 main veins. Petals yellow to orange, about 3-6 mm long, more or less oblong, broadly rounded at apex narrowing towards the centre, lower third with inrolled margins, abruptly narrowed into a short 0.5 mm long claw, inrolled margins obscurely ciliate or with sparse stellate hairs near margin. Stamens with hyaline filaments, obovate-oblong, about 2.5 mm long, with a few hairs on shoulders; anthers about 2 mm long, cells acute at apex, ciliate in lower half. Ovary 5-lobed, densely stellate-pubescent, becoming glabrous in part, lobes rounded at apex; style about 5 mm long, arising from centre of lobes, minutely and sparsely hairy in part. Capsule usually enclosed by the calyx and corolla remains, about 3.5 mm long and 4 mm broad, fairly shallowly 5-lobed apices of lobes rounded, not much produced above level of style-base. Seeds reniform or variously compressed, minutely papillose (scaly?) becoming very obscure, ±1 mm diam.