Lachnaea gracilis Meisn.

Erect, lax, moderately branched shrub up to 2 m tall, single-stemmed and branching at base, when grazed tends to have low, compact, decumbent habit; reseeder. Branches erect to flexuous, slender, internodes 1/2-1/4 as long as leaves, subridged or ridged below leaf bases, sparsely adpressed hairy, leafy, becoming glabrous and naked without prominent leaf scars. Leaves decussate, with distal 2 pairs usually subverticillate, adpressed to ascending, distant, sessile, epistomatic, narrowly elliptic to elliptic or narrowly obovate to obovate, (3.1-)3.5-8.3 x 0.8-1.5(-3.0) mm, coriaceous, glabrous; adaxially flat or obtusely concave, smooth, dull, ± white-punctate; abaxially flat or obtusely convex, occasionally subkeeled at apex, glossy or glaucous, smooth; apex acute, acuminate or obtuse; base obtuse. Inflorescence terminal, 1-flowered, but may appear axillary when much reduced, lateral branches comprise only 1 pair of leaves and a solitary flower, sericeous at floral articulation. Flowers sessile, subactinomorphic, cream usually turning pink with age. Hypanthium 2.4-5.0 mm long, circumscissile 1/2-3/4 way from base; upper portion cup-shaped occasionally with a basal invagination; basal portion narrowly ellipsoid to ellipsoid or narrowly ovoid to ovoid, sericeous outside, upper portion adpressed-puberulent or glabrous inside but barbate above circumscission zone in vicinity of floral scales; basal portion glabrous inside, but sometimes adpressed-puberulent towards circumscission zone. Sepals patent, subequal, ovate to widely ovate, or orbicular to oblate, 1.5-3.0 x 1.5-2.6 mm, obtuse or rounded, abaxially sericeous, adaxially adpressed-puberulent or glabrous. Stamens exserted or outer, antesepalous whorl exserted and inner, antepetalous whorl subexserted or included; antesepalous whorl arising at base of sepals, at rim of hypanthium or occasionally 1/3 way down upper portion of hypanthium; antepetalous whorl arising 1/3-2/3 down upper portion of hypanthium; filaments 0.3-0.9 mm long; anthers widely ellipsoid to depressed spheroid, 0.6-0.9 mm long, abaxially with broad connective tissue. Floral scales arising just above circumscission zone immediately below antepetalous stamens, subrotund, 0.3-0.6 mm long, glabrous, yellow in fresh state. Ovary narrowly ellipsoid, ovoid or obovoid, 0.9-2.8 mm long, glabrous. Style terete-obconical, 1.3-2.8 mm long, glabrous. Stigma capitate and papillate.