Shrubs up to 5 m, very tall, becoming tree-like, developing from a single stem at the base. Branches slightly flexuose, pubescent, becoming glabrous when older, slender, terete, erect. Leaves up to 10.5 cm long, 8 mm broad, linear-lanceolate, acute, with a small blunt mucro, adpressed-pubescent when young, narrowed to the base and twisted 90°, finely veined. Involucral leaves few in number, similar to the stem leaves but becoming yellow and broadened at the base. Male inflorescence 2.4 cm long, 1.6 cm diam., solitary, terminal, conical when in bud, giving off a faint pleasant smell. Basal bracts vary in size, 2.5 cm long, 1 cm broad, about 10 in number, broadly lanceolate, sub-apiculate with the upper edges rolled inwards, very short-pubescent above, glabrous and ciliate below, yellow, forming a conspicuous cup around the flowering head. Floral bract 1.7 mm long, 0.8 mm broad, ovate, glabrous, ciliate at the apex. Floral bud 5.5 mm long, swollen and yellow above, glabrous, arranged in 21 spiral rows with about 20 buds in each. Perianth tube 1.5 mm long, glabrous. Claw 2.5 mm long, glabrous, recurved 180°. Limb 2 mm long, glabrous, yellow, spathulate, concave, hooked. Anther 1.5 mm long, linear, curled upwards. Style 3.5 mm long, glabrous, narrower above, slightly swollen at the base. Stigma abortive, 1.5 mm long, somewhat broadly clavate, slightly grooved on the posterior surface, to a small extent acting as a pollen presenter, most of the pollen being scattered within the involucral cup when the bud bursts open. Pollen almost spherical 25 µ in diam., 18 µ in polar depth, triporate. Hypogynous scales 0.7 mm long, pale, acicular. Nectar not seen. Receptacle 2.2 cm long, 5 mm diam., elongated-ellipsoid. Female inflorescence 2.3 cm long, 1.2 cm diam., elongated, ovoid, silvery green with yellow florets arranged in 8 spiral rows of about 9 in each, giving off a faintly fruity smell. Basal bracts about 8 in number, similar to the male. Floral bracts 4.5 mm long outside, 8 mm broad, broadly elliptic, somewhat retuse, ciliate, densely short-pubescent in the upper half, glabrous below, arranged in 2 spiral rows, connate with the adjacent bracts towards their bases and connate with the middle of the bract in the row above. Floral bud 3.8 mm long, glabrous, compressed, with the stigma protruding at the apex of the enlarged head. Perianth segments 3 mm long, loosely imbricated, forming a tube. Claw 0.5 mm long, glabrous, recurved 90°. Limb 0.7 mm long, glabrous, laterals concave and hooked, anterior flattened. Staminode 0.3 mm long, anterior absent. Ovary 0.8 mm long, ovoid, somewhat winged above, glabrous. Style 3 mm long, glabrous, narrower below. Stigma 0.5 mm broad, lateral-oblique. Hypogynous scales 0.7 mm long, yellow, acicular. Nectar seen welling up from the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 1.8 cm long, 4 cm diam., narrowly conical. Mature female head a cone, indehiscent, up to 4.5 cm long, 2 cm diam., with broad bracts, subretuse, short-pubescent across the middle and with thin glabrous translucent margins above. Fruit a samara, 6-7.5 mm long, 5-6.5 mm broad, broadly or narrowly winged, somewhat pitted, emarginate, dark brown, glabrous.
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Shrub or tree, 2-5 m high, dioecious. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 105 x 8 mm, glabrescent, apex with blunt, fine point, narrowed to base twisted; involucral leaves few, longer, yellow. Male flowers in terminal, conical capitula, 24 x 16 mm. Involucral bracts broadly lanceolate, edges rolled inwards, hairy above, hairless below, yellow, forming a cup around capitulum. Female flowers in terminal, ovoid capitula, 23 x 12 mm, silvery green; flowers yellow. Mature capitulum an ovoid cone, up to 45 x 20 mm; bracts broad, hairy across middle, margins hairless, transparent. Flowering time July-Oct. Fruit retained.
Dioecious shrub or tree to 5 m. Leaves linear-lanceolate, glabrescent, to 105 mm long, involucral leaves longer, yellow. Male flower heads ± 16 mm diam., female ± 12 mm diam., fruit-scented, bracts conspicuous, yellow.