Manulea laxa Schltr.

Perennial herb, taproot stout, woody, up to c. 10 mm diam. at crown, stems (150-) 300-800 mm tall, erect, several to many tufted from the crown, simple or laxly branched low down, pubescent in lower part, hairs mostly up to 0.1-0.2 mm long, all balloon-tipped or sometimes mixed with few to many gland-tipped hairs, glabrous in upper part, leafy at the base and scapose upwards in weak plants, ± leafy throughout in robust specimens. Leaves opposite, bases connate, sometimes becoming alternate as they pass upwards into bracts, 10-70 x 1.5-8 mm, oblanceolate, apex obtuse to subacute, base narrowed to a petiole-like part, margins entire to shortly and remotely toothed, both surfaces greyish, pubescent, hairs as on stems. Flowers many in a long lax terminal raceme or very narrow thyrse, this often branching into a cymose panicle, flowers often solitary, or 2-4 in monochasial cymules, rarely in 3-flowered dichasia. Bracts (subtending lowermost flowers or cymules) c. 1.5-3 x 0.5-0.6 mm. Peduncle or pedicel (lowermost) c. 1.5-9 mm long, flowers in cymules ± sessile. Calyx obscurely bilabiate, tube 0.1-0.5 mm long, lobes 1.2-2 x 0.4-0.6 mm, subspathulate, the tips somewhat thickened, minutely puberulous on margins, the hairs mostly balloon-tipped. Corolla tube 6-9 x 0.8-1.2 mm in throat, cylindric, inflated near apex, limb bilabiate, 5-8 mm across the lateral lobes, posticous lobes 2.2-4 x 1-2 mm, anticous lobe 2-3.5 x 0.8-1.8 mm, all narrowly elliptic, margins revolute, reddish-brown to orange-brown, pubescent outside on backs of lobes and swollen part of tube, occasionally a few hairs near the base as well, or extending throughout in a posticous band, either glabrous inside or a few clavate hairs in a posticous longitudinal line. Stamens 4, anticous anthers 0.4-0.5 mm long, just included, posticous anthers 0.8-1 mm long, included, posticous filaments either glabrous or with a few clavate hairs. Stigma 1-2 mm long, a little shorter than or about equalling the style. Style 1.5-2.5 mm long. Ovary 1-1.5 x 0.5-0.8 mm, conical. Capsules c. 3-5 x 1.5-2.5 mm. Seeds c. 0.5-0.8 x 0.3-0.5 mm, violet-blue or pallid. Flowers can possibly be found in any month although the principal season seems to be September to December.