Hermannia prismatocarpa E.Mey. ex Harv.

Suffrutex, branching from base, branches long, decumbent, terminating in leafless, ascending inflorescence, up to 60 cm long, laxly to densely pubescent with minute fringed scales or papillae, interspersed with long, bulbous-based hairs, rarely gland-tipped hairs present; lateral branchlets secund, suberect and terminating in an inflorescence. Stipules narrowly to broadly ovate, acute to abruptly acuminate, base usually broad, oblique, rounded or cordate, semi-amplexicaul and sometimes decurrent, 3-10 mm long and about as broad at base, finely stellate-pubescent above and below, sometimes also hirsute with long, pointed hairs. Leaves petiolate; blade more or less oblong to ovate-oblong, usually broadest below the middle, slightly cuneate at base, 10-70 mm long, 7-34 mm broad, upper surface finely pubescent with stellate hairs and fringed scales, glabrescent, lower surface thinly and finely white-tomentose (sometimes not obviously white) between nerves, and stellate-pubescent on raised nerves; crenate-dentate and plicate at least when young; petiole 5-20 mm long, densely pubescent either with fringed scales or tufted, pointed hairs, or both. Inflorescence of erect, leafless, racemose or paniculate cymes which terminate main branch and branchlets; peduncles and pedicels pubescent as on branchlets; bracts more or less like the stipules, when in groups of 3 the central one elliptic, in upper parts of inflorescence united and lobed, often 3-lobed. Calyx shallowly campanulate, finely stellate-pubescent to tomentose without, about 4.5 mm long, 5-lobed almost to middle, sinuses wide, lobes acute. Petals twisted, “rich yellow”, about 9 mm long, more or less oblong, narrowed at middle and eared, margins half infolded in lower and narrowing to a claw, glabrous or minutely hairy on margin and inner face. Stamens with hyaline, obovate-oblong filaments, glabrous or with minute hairs on shoulders; anthers ciliate, overlapping filaments at base. Ovary 5-angled and almost flat between the angles, stellate-tomentose with rather short hairs. Capsule about 10-16 mm long, with calyx and stamens persisting at base, sharply 5-angled, pubescent with short hairs in tubercle-based tufts, especially on keels of carpels, umbos or horns up to 2 mm long.