Shrubs rather low, 60 cm after two years, tinged with red, fairly densely branched from a single stem below, with few erect stems. Branches lax, purplish, somewhat slender, villous. Leaves sub-equal in the two sexes, 3-3.5 cm long, 3.5-5.5 mm broad, narrowly oblong, semi-erect, dark green, covered on all sides with a velvety erect pubescence, apex subacute with a small blunt mucro, twisted and narrowed at the base. Involucral leaves crowded, narrowly lanceolate, greenish white, becoming glabrous on the inner surface and decreasing in size towards the head, tapering to a small blunt mucro at the acute apex, about 16 in number, forming a starlike cup around and exceeding the head. Male inflorescence 1.5 cm long, 1.2 cm diam., solitary, terminal, conical when in bud, flowers arranged in 21 ascending spiral rows. Basal bracts 5 mm long, 3 mm broad, about 15 cm number, ovate, acute, glabrous, ciliate. Floral bract 1.5 mm long, 1 mm broad, oval, ciliate, sparsely pubescent on the upper part of the midrib. Floral bud 4.5 mm long, glabrous at the apex and base, otherwise pubescent, apex somewhat enlarged, surrounded below by a tuft of hairs. Perianth tube 1.5 mm long, pubescent above, glabrous below. Claw 1.5 mm long, pubescent, recurved more than 90°. Limb 1.5 mm long, glabrous above, pubescent at the base, oblong. Anther 1.3 mm long, decumbent. Stigma abortive, 1.3 mm long, clavate, acting as a pollen presenter. Style 3 mm long, glabrous, narrower above. Hypogynous scales 1.3 mm long, subulate, yellow. Nectar seen at the apices of the hypogynous scales in the throat of the perianth tube. Pollen triangular in polar view with obtuse apices, sides 29 µ long, polar thickness 20 µ. Receptacle 1.3 mm long, 3.5 mm diam., cylindrical. Female inflorescence 1.3 cm long, 1 cm diam., solitary, terminal with or without a colourful involucre, ovoid, with flowers in 8 ascending spirals. Basal bracts similar to the male. Floral bract 2.5 mm long, 5 mm broad, broadly oval, densely short-pubescent in the upper two thirds, glabrous across the base, ciliate. Foral bud 4.5 mm long, transversely flattened, rounded and glabrous above, divided and glabrous below, mid section pubescent. Perianth tube 2.5 mm long, weakly fused, pubescent above, glabrous and divided below. Claw 0.75 mm long, pubescent, recurved 145° and more. Limb 0.75 mm long, glabrous, posterior much thickened at the apex, anterior flattened. Staminodes 0.5 mm long, anterior usually absent. Ovary 0.75 mm long, glabrous, bilobed above. Stigma 0.5 mm broad, truncate, sub-oblique. Style 3 mm long, glabrous, narrower below. Hypogynous scales 1.3 mm long, yellow, broad, tapering, obtuse. Nectar seen at the apices of the hypogynous scales and in the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 1.2 cm long, 2.5 mm diam., narrowly conical. Mature female head a cone, indehiscent, 2.5 cm long, 2 cm diam., globose, with bracts reddened and glabrous above, densely pubescent across the middle. Fruit a samara, 6 mm long, 5 mm broad, compressed, black, pitted, ribbed on the inside, emarginate and winged above.
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Dwarf shrub, densely branched from base, 0.5-2.5 m high, dioecious. Leaves narrowly oblong, 30-35 x 3-6 mm, erect velvety hairs, flushed red, apex a fine point; involucral leaves 16, crowded, lanceolate, green-white, hairless above, forming a star-like cup. Male flowers in solitary, terminal, conical capitula, 15 x 12 mm. Involucral bracts 6, ovate with hairy margins. Female flowers in terminal ellipsoid capitula, 13 x 10 mm. Mature capitulum a globose cone, 25 x 20 mm, bracts reddened, hairless above, densely hairy across middle. Flowering time Dec., Jan. Fruit broadly winged.
Dioecious shrub to 2.5 m, branching from below. Leaves narrowly oblong, velvety, 30-35 mm long, often flushed red, involucral leaves slightly larger, glabrous above, whitish green. Male flower heads ± 12 mm diam., female ± 10 m diam.
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