Melhania forbesii Planch. ex Mast.

Shrublet about 60 cm tall, sometimes taller, stem erect, branched; branches suberect the upper portion usually appearing rust-coloured from the clusters of rather long ferruginous hairs, which are sometimes stalked and occur more or less densely intermingled with the short greyish stellate tomentum. Stipules subulate 10-20 mm long. Leaves greyish tomentose with short, fine grouped or stellate hairs especially dense on the lower surface, and sometimes with clusters of ferruginous hairs on the nerves beneath, more or less ovate-oblong, 3-11 cm long, 1.5-6 cm broad, rounded at the apex, sometimes mucronate, base rounded to cordate, margin crenate-serrulate; petiole 1-2.5 cm long, usually densely covered with clusters of ferruginous hairs. Inflorescence axillary, peduncles straight, tomentose and with numerous clusters of ferruginous hairs, suberect, 1-6 cm long, branched near the apex; raceme 1-4-flowered, usually 3-flowered; pedicels 2-7 mm long. Epicalyx-bracts from about 12-18 mm long and 10-14 mm broad, ovate, sometimes broadly acuminate to an acute apex (not abruptly so), cordate at the base, longer than the calyx and petals (in dried specimens obscuring the calyx), tomentose on both surfaces. Calyx-lobes greyish villose-tomentose dorsally, glabrous within, lanceolate about 1 cm long, apex acute. Petals about as long as the calyx-lobes, obovate, broadest at the apex (the faded petals twisted at the apex and persisting like a cap on the capsule may appear to be longer than the calyx but they are not attached at the base). Stamens about 12 mm long, filaments and anthers about 5 mm long. Ovary subglobose about 9 mm diam., densely tomentose; style about 2 mm long, style-branches about 4 mm long. Seeds up to 6 in a cell.

Drier types of woodland; bushy areas, at elevations up to 1,670 metres.

Can be grown by seedlings.