Lachnaea pudens Beyers

Erect to decumbent, much-branched shrub up to 0.6 m tall, single-stemmed at base, branching close to ground; reseeder. Branches flexuous, intertwined, moderately thick, ridged below leaf bases, tomentose or tomentose-sericeous, leafy, becoming sparsely hairy and naked with prominent leaf scars; flowering branches declinate. Leaves decussate, ascending-incurved, imbricate, distal 2 pairs of leaves inclined, erect or slightly recurved, subverlicillate, sessile, elliptic, 3.8-5.7 x 1.0-1.3 mm, subfleshy, glabrous; adaxially flat to obtusely concave, smooth, dull, ± while-punctate; abaxially convex, keeled, glossy, smooth, sometimes with a reddish brown tinge; apex apiculate; base obtuse. Inflorescence terminal, 1-flowered, but appearing to be axillary when much reduced, lateral branches comprising only I pair of leaves and a solitary flower. Flowers sessile, subactinomorphic, dark red. Hypanthium 3.0-4.5 mm long, circumscissile 4/5 from base; upper portion widely cup-shaped with a basal invagination; basal portion pyriform, sericeous outside; upper portion glabrous inside but villous above circumscission zone in vicinity of floral scales; basal portion sparsely hairy inside. Sepals patent, subequal, widely ovate or widely depressed-ovate, 2.0-3.9 x 2.6-3.6 mm, acute or obtuse, abaxially sericeous, adaxially glabrous. Stamens exserted, outer, antesepalous whorl adnate to upper portion of hypanthium and becoming free just above base of sepals, inner antepetalous whorl adnate to upper hypanthium and becoming free 2/3 up hypanthium; filaments 0.3-0.5 mm long; anthers depressed-spheroid, 0.5-0.6 mm long, abaxially with broad connective tissue. Floral scales arising midway on upper portion of hypanthium below antepetalous stamens, subrotund, 0.3-0.4 mm long, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, 1.0-1.3 mm long, glabrous. Style terete-obconical, 2.2-2.6 mm long, glabrous. Stigma brush-like.