Shrubs 1 m tall, dense, glabrous, with many stems and a persistent root-stock. Branches numerous, erect, glabrous. Branchlets slender, short, glabrous, numerous and scattered in the male, less numerous and somewhat stouter in the female. Leaves 4.5 cm long, 2.3 mm broad, linear, acute, mucronate, coriaceous, sub-canaliculate, twisted, glabrous; on flowering branches the leaves of the male plant become reduced in size to about 3 cm long and 2 mm broad, whilst those of the female plant become increased in size to about 5 cm long, 2.5 mm broad and less twisted with a slight tapering to the apex; young leaves weakly villous, ciliate, tufted with hairs at the apex. Involucral leaves of the male plant few in number, pale yellow, not concealing the head; of the female plant narrowly lanceolate, acute, crowded, pale, forming a cup around the head. Male inflorescence 8 mm long, 1 cm diam., globose, solitary, terminal, giving off a faint sweet smell. Basal bract 4.5 mm long, 2 mm broad, about 6 in number, lanceolate, acute, brown, ciliate. Floral bract 2 mm long, 1 mm broad, ovate, ciliate, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Floral bud 4.8 mm long, glabrous, swollen above, rather slender. Perianth tube 2.2 mm long, glabrous. Claw 1.2 mm long, glabrous, recurved 270°. Limb 1.2 mm long, glabrous, spathulate, concave, hooked. Anther 0.9 mm long, curled upwards. Pollen triangular in polar view with sides 27 µ long, 20 µ in polar depth. Stigma abortive, 0.7 mm long, clavate, acting as a pollen presenter. Style 3.5 mm long, filiform, glabrous, narrower above. Hypogynous scales 1.5 mm long, terete, yellow. Nectar seen filling the perianth tube. Receptacle 6 mm long, 2.5 mm diam., clavate. Female inflorescence 2.3 cm long, 1.5 cm diam., ovoid, glabrous, giving off a pleasant smell. Basal bracts 1.4 cm long, 6.5 mm broad, lanceolate, acute, glabrous, ciliate, about 5 in number. Floral bracts 4.5 mm long, 8.5 mm broad, broadly elliptic, glabrous, ciliate. Floral bud 5.5 mm long, transversely compressed, glabrous. Perianth segments partly imbricated, 4 mm long, glabrous. Claw 1 mm long, recurved 180°, glabrous, rather narrow. Limb 1 mm long, glabrous, hooked. Staminode 0.3 mm long, curled upwards. Ovary 1 mm long, ovoid, glabrous. Style 4 mm long, glabrous. Stigma 0.6 mm diam., oblique, often cleft. Hypogynous scales 1.5 mm long, stout, yellow. Nectar seen welling up at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 1.9 cm long, 4 mm diam., cylindro-conical. Mature female head 3.6 cm long, 2.5 cm diam., indehiscent, glabrous, green, closely imbricated by the acute involucral leaves, with brown ciliate basal bracts, with glabrous floral bracts, thin, closely laid, and with adjacent bracts arranged in 2 spiral rows. Fruit a samara, 6.5 mm diam., sub-orbicular, apex retuse, compressed, winged, dark brown, glabrous with a few white hairs surrounding the basal scar. The impression of the edges of the upper cone bracts leaves a ridge with a rough excrescence crossing over the median scar.
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