Metalasia plicata P.O.Karis

Apparently an erect much-branched shrub, probably up to 1.5 m high. Branches erect, young densely whitish-tomentose, older becoming glabrous or subglabrous, with indistinct leaf-scars. Foliage dense. Leaves declinate or sometimes spreading, straight, with axillary brachyblasts usually less than half as long as the subtending leaf, often much involute, narrowly lanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly ovate, 2.0-14 x 0.5-1.5 mm, acute and sometimes shortly acuminate, mostly about half-twisted, sparsely to very sparsely pubescent at least towards the base, with an indistinct midvein towards the base. Synflorescenses (5-)10-35 mm wide, dense, ± branched, with (few-)5 to numerous capitula arranged in few to 18 slightly to distinctly branched clusters, each containing few to 10 capitula; a few (in small synflorescenses often only) individually arranged capitula often also present. Peduncles (0-)2-9 mm long. Capitula 5-flowered, sessile or rarely with pedicels up to 4 mm long, free from one another, lower 2/3 of each capitulum hairy. Involucre cyathiform to narrowly campanulate, apically 1.5-2.5 mm wide. Involucral bracts in 7-9 series, gradually longer inwards, outermost about 1/5-1/3 as long as the innermost, most bracts not petaloid, outermost subfoliaceous to scarious, those inwards scarious to petaloid, outermost narrowly ovate, those inwards narrowly oblong to oblanceolate, inner and innermost sometimes with narrow hyaline margins, outermost acute and sometimes shortly acuminate, those inwards acute and innermost obtuse sometimes truncate and irregularly dentate, all apically erect, some inner and all innermost conspicuously and regularly plicate, outermost with interlocking hairs reaching above the middle of the bract, those inwards less hairy to glabrous, outermost light brown to yellowish-brown or sometimes reddish, those inwards often yellowish-white to whitish, innermost with a stereome about 1-1.3 times as long as the lamina. Corolla narrowly cylindrical, sometimes slightly widened above the middle, 4-4.5 mm long; lobes erect. Anthers apically rounded. Cypselas narrowly oblong to oblong-ovoid, 1.4-2.1 mm long, without an annular ridge, with comparatively long and acute papillae, dark to blackish-brown. Pappus bristles with a serrate or sometimes dentate and narrow or sometimes more broad shaft, apically flattened to ± flat and distinctly serrate or sometimes almost entire, acute to very acute.