Pharnaceum lineare L.F.

Glabrous, prostrate or sprawling. Stems dark green, several from a woody rootstock, up to 1 m long, branching in the upper parts; internodes 3-12 cm long. Leaves in whorls usually of 6, linear, 2-5 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, flat or revolute, dark green. Stipules about 1 mm long and as wide or wider, acute, cut at the top into lobes ending in short hairs, deciduous on the older leaves. Peduncles axillary, up to 6 cm long, with or without a whorl of leaves at the top. Inflorescence branches dichasial, 5-10 cm long, more or less secund, zigzag and pseudoracemose. Pedicels 1-1.5 cm long, deflexed at the fruiting stage. Flowers opening quite flat. Perianth segments 5-8 mm long, narrow-oblong, separate in the open flower, red or brown outside, white or pale pink inside. Stigmas thick, cylindrical. Fruit ellipsoid, rather narrow, as long as or longer than the perianth. Seeds black, shining, with a distinct rim.