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Saxicolous, soboliferous shrubs or dwarf shrubs 0.5-1(-2) m tall, the virgate branches arising from a woody base; this basal sprawling stem lacking bark on one side (in Transvaal specimens seen). Branches and branchlets pale dirty grey, lenticellate, rough. Leaves deciduous, sessile, narrowly elliptic, 6-9 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm broad, apex attenuate, acute or obtuse, base long-attenuate, margin serrulate, firm, with close lateral veins curving upwards; stipules intrapetiolar, elongate-deltoid. Flowers in sessile (1-)2-6-flowered pseudumbels on short lateral spurs below new leaf growth; pedicels about 12 mm long in fruit, articulated at the base. Sepals c. 5 mm long, ovate at anthesis; 1 cm long, deep red, flat and spreading in fruit. Petals obovoid, clawed, c. 1 cm long, 7 mm broad, bright yellow. Stamens c. 25-30, with filaments 5 mm long; anthers 2 mm long, opening by longitudinal slits. Carpels 5, attached basally to receptacle; styles fused, terete; stigma capitate. Drupelets oblong-globose, c. 1 cm long, black. Flowering in spring.
Leaves petiolate; lamina 4·4–9 (11) × (1) 1·5–2·1 (2·9), elliptic to oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate, acute or shortly and bluntly acuminate at the apex, with margin densely serrulate with straight or incurving teeth, cuneate or attenuate at the base, herbaceous or chartaceous, with usually spreading main and subsidiary lateral nerves almost equally prominent and very densely reticulate tertiary venation more prominent above than below; petiole 2–3 (4) mm. long, ± slender.
Shrub, 0.5-1,0(-2.0) m high. Bark of woody stem base not properly developed on one side. Leaves long-attenuate basally, acute distally. Carpels 5, attached basally to receptacle. Flowers bright yellow.
Shrub up to c. 1 (2) m. high or shrublet with woody rootstock, with bark brown becoming vertically striate; branches virgate, terete or slightly ridged, yellowish-white, densely pustulose-lenticellate.
Flowers (2) 3–6 in a very shortly racemose or pseudumbellate axillary inflorescence; pedicels 0·9–1·2 cm. long in fruit, articulated at the base.
Sepals 4–5 mm. long in flower, oblong-elliptic, rounded, becoming carmine-or brownish-red, 8–11 mm. long, flat and spreading in fruit.
Stamens with anthers 1–1·5 mm. long, 1/3–1/2 as long as the filaments, straight, dehiscing by longitudinal slits.
Drupelets 6·5–8 × 5–6·5 mm., subglobose, inserted near their base; embryo slightly curved.
Petals bright yellow, 7–10 x 3–4 mm., broadly elliptic to suborbicular and unguiculate.
Carpels 5, with styles completely united; stigma 5-lobed.
