Limonium namaquanum L.Bolus

A sturdy shrublet with spreading branches; branches woody, up to 30 cm long and 8 mm in diam. with bark splitting up into loose strips, producing erect flowering branchlets 6-10 cm long. Leaves more or less erect, distichous, narrowly spathulate, 2.0-3.5 cm long, 3-4 mm broad, apiculate, leathery, minutely pitted, dilated and stem-clasping and overlapping at the base. Peduncles slender up to about 6 cm long with 2-4 branches; branches short with up to about 15 spikelets densely and distichously arranged along the zig-zag rhachis. Spikelets 1-flowered; bract 6-7 mm long with a broad membranous margin, glabrous. Calyx 1 cm long with the spreading limb about 8 mm diam., obscurely 5-lobed, glabrous except for few spreading long hairs from the base. Petals spathulate, emarginate, 1.5 cm long, 3.5 mm broad with the stamens somewhat shorter. Ovary 5-angled with free styles about 1 cm long, with small capitate stigmas.