Leucadendron laxum I.Williams

Shrubs up to 1.5 m, erect, developing from a single stem at ground level, many short foliaceous branches at the base, flowers numerous, borne on the erect branches in scattered groups. Branches tomentose, purplish, slender, slightly stouter in the female plant, not hidden by the leaves. Branchlets numerous, very slender, short, usually occurring in groups at intervals on the main branches. Foliaceous branchlets very slender, lax, with a few weak hairs. Leaves of male plants up to 13.5 mm long, and 1.25 mm broad, of female plants up to 17.5 mm long, and 1.3 mm broad, much smaller on branchlets, more slender on the lower foliaceous branchlets; leaves in both sexes acicular, almost oval in cross section, glabrous, sparsely villous when young, patulate-erect, mucronate, evenly spaced. Male inflorescence about 6 mm long and 9 mm diam., exceeding the leaves, solitary or sometimes 3-nate at the ends of short or very short groups of branchlets, depressed globose, peduncle 5 mm long, giving off a foetid smell. Basal bracts about 5 mm long, narrowly lanceolate, glabrous, ciliate, about 51 cm number mostly grouped at the base of the peduncle, a few smaller scattered above. Floral bracts 1.5 mm long, 1 mm broad, ovate, hollow, translucent, glabrous, ciliate, apical cilia less than 1 mm long. Floral bud 4.25 mm long, slightly bent, pubescent, yellow and glabrous above. Perianth tube 2 mm long, terete, pubescent. Claw 1.5 mm long, pubescent, recurved 90-120°. Limb 1.25 mm long, glabrous, spathulate. Anthers 0.75 mm long, erect, curled upwards, connective dark brown visible at the apex as a minute dark spot. Pollen sides 35 µ long, polar thickness 20u, triangular in polar view with straight sides and blunt angles. Style 3.5 mm long, filiform, glabrous. Stigma abortive, 0.6 mm long, minutely cleft, clavate, acting as a pollen presenter. Hypogynous scales 1.5 mm long, filiform. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Female inflorescence solitary, at the ends of groups of short branchlets exceeding the leaves, obconical, with about 12 small flowers in the flattened apex. Basal bracts about 6.5 mm long and 2 mm broad arising from the pubescent lower sides of the head, the lowest leaf-like but broader and ciliate at the base, becoming lanceolate, acute, villous, ciliate, about 46 cm number. Floral bracts 5 mm long, 3.5 mm broad, Ungulate, acute, recurved and glabrous above, connate, thickened and densely pubescent below, lanceolate, weakly ciliate. Floral buds 6 mm long, villous, straight, green. Perianth tube 3.5 mm long, transversely compressed, villous, glabrous and divided below. Claw 1 mm long, villous, recurved about 90°. Limb 1 mm long, linear, glabrous above. Staminodes 0.3 mm long, absent from the anterior segment. Ovary 0.75 mm long, 0.5 mm broad, ovoid, densely clothed in thick watery hairs. Style 3.5 mm long, glabrous, straight, narrowing slightly below. Stigma 0.5 mm broad, terminal, truncate, somewhat cleft. Hypogynous scales 1.5 mm long, linear. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Mature female head 2 cm long and 1.4 cm diam., ovoid, pubescent, the acute glabrous elevated apices of the bracts are conspicuous. Fruit a nut, biconvex, obovoid, 5 mm long, 3.5 mm broad, tapering to the base, fringed with short hairs, anterior surface mottled, posterior surface divided vertically by a low ridge.