Manulea virgata Thunb.

Shrublet, stems c. 250-450 mm long, erect, ascending or decumbent, woody at base and there up to c. 4 mm diam., herbaceous above, well branched, densely pubescent, hairs up to 0.3-0.6 mm long, either all glandular or mixed with acute hairs, leafy throughout. Leaves opposite, bases connate, becoming alternate above as they pass imperceptibly into floral bracts, blade c. 7-27 x 5-16 mm, broadly elliptic or sometimes ovate, apex ± acute, base cuneate and passing into a petiolar part c. 3-16 mm long (roughly length of blade), margins coarsely serrate, doubly so in larger leaves, both surfaces pubescent, hairs up to 0.3-0.6 mm long, either all gland-tipped or mixed with few to many acute hairs. Flowers many in long lax delicate terminal thyrses, either solitary or in few-flowered (up to 11) dichasial cymules. Bracts (lowermost) always leaflike, c. 6-21 x 3-10 mm including the short petiole. Peduncle or pedicel (lowermost) c. 0.5-11 mm long. Calyx obscurely bilabiate, tube 0.1-0.3 mm long, anticous lobes 2-2.6 x 0.4-0.5 mm, posticous lobes 2-2.5 x 0.3-0.4 mm, lanceolate, pubescent all over, hairs up to 0.3-0.4 mm long, acute, small glandular hairs also present. Corolla tube 4.25-5.5 x 0.8-1 mm in throat, cylindric, inflated at apex, limb distinctly bilabiate, 6.8-7 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lobes 3-3.5 x 0.8-1.1 mm, anticous lobe 2.75-3.2 x 0.75-1 mm, all lanceolate, acute, margins revolute, yellow turning brown, yellow/orange patch in back of throat, pubescent outside, hairs up to 0.2 mm long, inside 4 longitudinal bands of clavate hairs in throat. Stamens 4, anticous anthers 0.3-0.5 mm long, tips just visible in mouth, posticous anthers 0.6-0.8 mm long, included, posticous filaments bearded. Stigma 1-1.5 mm long, longer than style, included. Style 0.2-0.8 mm long. Ovary 1-1.2 x 0.6-0.8 mm. Capsules 2.5-3.5 x 1.5-2.5 mm, glandular-puberulous. Seeds c. 0.5-0.6 x 0.3-0.4 mm, pallid.