Hermannia scabra Cav.

Suffrutex, low spreading bush to stiffly erect shrublet up to 60 cm tall; branches fairly finely stellate-pubescent with intermingled gland-tipped hairs to sparsely and harshly stellate-pubescent, the hairs appressed or spreading, 1 to few from a basal tubercle. Stipules ovate to oblong-ovate from a broad base, sometimes obliquely cordate at base, 2-6 mm long, 1.5-3 mm broad at base, sparsely stellate-pubescent. Leaves shortly petiolate; blade cuneate from near apex or from midway, 2.5-40 mm long, varying in width from 2-15 mm broad at or near apex, lobed in upper half or at apex only, sparsely and harshly stellate-pubescent, hairs often 1 from the tubercled base, especially on the margins, glabrescent especially on upper surface which is finely dotted with minute tubercles or glands; petiole 1.5-5 mm long. Inflorescence of long, leafless, racemose or paniculate cymes terminal on branchlets, cymes 1-or 2-flowered, internodes long, 10-44 mm long; peduncles 2-20 mm, stellate-pubescent; pedicels 2-10 mm long; bracts like stipules but reducing upwards, lower ovate-cordate or oblique at base, about 8 mm long, reducing to very narrowly lanceolate bracts about 2 mm long, usually 3 at apex of peduncle, central the largest 4.5 x 3.5 mm, lateral 2.5 x 1.5 mm. Calyx 6 to 7 mm long, lobed to about midway, at first stellate-pubescent especially on nerves, usually coarsely so with hairs from a raised base, sometimes more finely stellate with intermingled gland-tipped hairs, with age becoming glabrescent and scarious; lobes deltoid often ciliate with long hairs; sinuses wide, at least in mature flowers. Petals bright yellow turning reddish brown with age, about 10 mm long, orbicular to oblong in upper third, narrowing into a waist which is pubescent, especially on margins which are usually densely fringed, produced below into a claw with infolded margins. Stamens about 7 mm long; filaments hyaline, obovate, pubescent on shoulders, overlapped at apex by anther bases; anthers ciliate. Ovary 5-lobed, 5-umbonate at apex, about 3 mm long, stellate especially on sutures; styles about 4 mm long. Capsule exserted from persistent calyx, about 6 mm long, 5-lobed and 5-umbonate at apex, stellate-pubescent, the hairs longer on the sutures.