Manulea rigida Benth.

Coarse herb, branching from base, probably perennial and c. 1 m tall, only upper part of stems seen, these up to 700 mm long, c. 3.5 mm diam., woody, divaricately branched, densely glandular-puberulous (also on inflorescence axes), occasional long hairs (0.5-1 mm) present on lowest part, leafy. Leaves alternate, c. 25-45 x 5-15 mm, gradually diminishing in size upwards and passing into conspicuous, leaf-like bracts, lanceolate, apex ± acute, base broad, half-clasping and shortly decurrent in two very narrow ridges, margins coarsely irregularly and sharply toothed, both surfaces glandular-puberulous with occasional longer broad-based hairs also present particularly on lower surface. Flowers many in large panicles, either solitary or in 2-3-flowered dichasial cymules. Bracts: those subtending main branches leaf-like, those subtending individual flowers or cymules smaller but always conspicuous and reaching at least halfway up the calyx of the nearest flower, either toothed or entire. Pedicels of individual flowers c. 1-4 mm long. Calyx obscurely bilabiate, tube c. 0.4-0.75 mm long, anticous lobes c. 4-5 x 0.6-1 mm, posticous lobes a little smaller, linear-lanceolate, minutely glandular-puberulous all over, sometimes with a few hairs to c. 0.3 mm on margins. Corolla tube c. 7.5-9 x 1.6-2 mm in throat, cylindric, upper half abruptly expanded, limb almost regular, c. 6.5-8 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lobes c. 2-3 x 2-3 mm, anticous lobe c. 2.5-3 x 2 mm, all lobes broadly elliptic, very obtuse, white, tube yellowish in throat, and forming a yellow star around mouth, outside of lobes and tube puberulous, hairs to 0.1 mm, ± retrorse, upper surface of lobes with tiny clavate hairs forming a star-shaped pattern, inside of tube glabrous in upper half, minutely glandular-puberulous below insertion of posticous fdaments. Stamens 4, anticous anthers 0.5-0.8 mm long, included, posticous anthers 1.2-1.5 mm long, very deeply included, posticous filaments bearded with clavate hairs. Stigma 0.6-1 mm long, sometimes ± bifid, very deeply included. Style 0.6-0.75 mm long. Ovary 1-1.5 x 0.8 mm. Capsules c. 3-5 x 2-3 mm. Seeds c. 0.8 x 0.5 mm, pallid. Plants appear to begin flowering in December, flowers and fruits were present in January, mostly fruits by March to June.