Metalasia montana P.O.Karis

Low, compact much-branched shrublet, obviously up to 0.3 m high. Branches usually erect, young usually densely or sometimes sparsely whitish-tomentose, older becoming glabrous or subglabrous, with indistinct leaf-scars. Foliage dense. Leaves mostly spreading or sometimes erect-spreading, often slightly curved, with axillary brachyblasts about half as long as the subtending leaf, slightly or rarely much involute, narrowly lanceolate to narrowly obovate, 3.7-10 x 0.5-1.7 mm, acute or sometimes shortly acuminate, usually about half-twisted, glabrous to very sparsely pubescent at least towards the base, with an indistinct midvein towards the base. Synflorescenses 5-20 mm wide, dense, obscurely to conspicuously branched, with (1-)few to 30 (numerous) capitula arranged in (1-)few to 10 dense and obscurely branched clusters, each containing few to 5 capitula; a few individually arranged capitula sometimes also present. Peduncles 0-6 mm long. Capitula 3-5-flowered, sessile or with pedicels up to 4 mm long, free from one another or slightly fused towards the base, lower 2/3 of each capitulum hairy. Involucre narrowly campanulate or rarely cyathiform, apically (2-)2.5-3.5 mm wide. Involucral bracts in 4-5 series, gradually longer inwards, outermost about 1/2-4/5 as long as the innermost, most bracts not petaloid, outermost sub-foliaceous to scarious, those inwards more scarious to petaloid, outermost lanceolate to narrowly oblong, those inwards narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate, inner and innermost sometimes with narrow hyaline margins and sometimes slightly transparent above the stereome, outermost acuminate, those inwards acute to obtuse and apiculate, all apically often erect-spreading, outer lacerate, inner sometimes plicate, outermost with interlocking hairs reaching above the middle of the bract, those inwards less hairy to glabrous, outermost light sometimes reddish brown, those inwards brownish-red to white, innermost with a stereome about 0.7-1.1 times as long as the lamina. Corolla narrowly cylindrical, 3.5-1.0 mm long; lobes erect. Anthers apically rounded. Cypselas narrowly oblong-ovoid, 1.7-2.0 mm long, without an annular ridge, with short acute papillae, dark brown. Pappus bristles with a serrate or sometimes slightly dentate and narrow shaft, apically ± flat and entire, subterete towards the very apex, mostly acute.