Lobostemon gracilis Levyns

Resprouting shrub, 30-100 cm high. Branches caulous, antrorse, herbaceous branches hairy, woody branches glabrescent. Leaves herbaceous, cauline, transversely incurved, longitudinally straight or slightly naviculate, dead basal leaves not persistent, (16-)20-35(-38) x (1.0-)1.5-2.5(-3.0) mm, linear to narrowly lanceolate, adaxially copiously hairy (with fine simple hairs), abaxially copiously hairy, indumentum appressed, hairs dissimilar in length (continuous variation in length), trichomes simple or pustular; leaf margin entire; apex acute; mid-vein abaxially unobtrusive. Inflorescence of many flowered, compound cincinni, young flowering axis elongated, flower buds arranged in two distinct parallel rows, spreading greatly in fruiting stage. Bracts (2.5-)3.0-4.0(-5.0) x (0.8-)1.0-1.5(-2.0) mm, narrowly oblong to narrowly lanceolate. Flowers small (anterior petals 17-30 mm long), more than three per cymule, rotate. Sepals narrowly oblong to narrowly lanceolate, less than half of corolla length, similar in width, free, adaxially sparsely to copiously hairy (with fine simple hairs), more or less evenly spread across the whole surface, abaxially copiously hairy, non-velutinous; young apices incurved-applanate, brown trichomes on the adaxial surface wanting. Petals dissimilar, the anterior petal lobes larger than the rest, posterior petals ca. 8 mm long, posterior petal lobes ca. 3 mm long, anterior petals ca. 9 mm long, anterior petal lobes ca. 5.5 mm long, predominantly pale violet-blue; abaxially hairy, hairs unevenly spread, largely confined to the mid-veins or to the lobes. Stamens similar in length, exserted in adult flowers; anthers dorsifixed; filaments free from petals above staminal scales. Staminal scales inserted at the throat of the corolla tube, 2.0-2.5 mm above the base of the corolla tube, usually well-developed, triangular, lateral lobes present, villous, area between scales also hairy. Style median sections glabrous. Mericarpids ovoid-trigonous; tuberculate; hairs absent, lateral ridges prominent; dorsal side vertical; dorsal keel prominent; ventral keel prominent.