Paranomus reflexus (E.Phillips & Hutch.) Fourc.

A branched shrub up to 1.5 m high. Stems almost glabrous but with scanty, very short woolly hairs when young. Leaves both dissected and entire. Entire leaves coriaceous, petiole up to 15 mm long, more or less adpressed to the stem, lamina 20 mm or less, turning outwards, the edges curving upwards, ovate, spathulate or subulate near the inflorescence, glabrous excepting in the much reduced leaves which may have white hairs. Dissected leaves up to 80 mm long, glabrous, divided in the upper half or two thirds, the lobes slender, channelled, the apiculum acute, reddish. Peduncle up to 40 mm long, about 6 mm in diameter, covered with soft short hairs, the base clasped by successively shorter reduced entire leaves, bracts on the peduncle subulate, turning abruptly upwards just above the base, lying parallel but not adpressed, to the peduncle. Spike up to 130 mm long, about 60 mm wide. Bracts subtending the partial inflorescences lanceolate-subulate near the base, becoming subulate higher, the tip shrivelling on the upper and becoming filiform. Floral bracts about 4 mm long, ovate, acute, tomentose, the hairs longer near the base, the tip dark brown even when young. Just before the flower buds open, they turn downwards, the perianth segments separating only after the movement has been completed, Perianth in the mature bud 30-35 mm long, greenish, very slender, widening slightly at the apex, covered with rather short pale adpressed hairs, the hairs slightly longer near the apex, all segments similar. Style glabrous; pollen presenter 5 mm long, green, slightly wider just above the middle, with a knee-like bend at the base.