Phylica chionocephala Schltr.

A moderately branched shrub about 25 cm high. Branchlets slender, covered with grey tomentum with which is mingled long silky, straight hairs. Leaves crowded, about 6 mm long: lamina erect-spreading, frequently somewhat incurved, narrowly linear, subacute, with closely re volute margins covering the lower surface; upper surface finely tubercled, at first pilose, soon becoming glabrous: petiole about 1 mm long. Capitula solitary, 7-10 mm wide, surrounded by foliaceous bracts 4-5 mm long. Bracts of the outer flowers about 5 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, navicular, puberulous on the outer surface, villous on the inner, purplish. Bracts of the inner flowers slightly shorter, linear-lanceolate, villous on both sides. Bracteoles 2, 2.5-3 mm long, narrowly linear, villous. Flowers 3.5-4 mm long: calyx-tube 1.5 mm deep, obconic, glabrous, with an inconspicuous disc at the base: sepals 1.25 mm long, erect-spreading, lanceolate, acute; outer surface clothed with white hairs up to 1 mm long; inner surface convex, glabrous. Petals inserted half way up the tube, 0.5 mm long, oblanceolate or spathulate, acute or obtuse, slightly convex on the inner side, incurved at the apex. Anthers 1-celled. Ovary obconic, glabrous. Style stout, scarcely 0.25 mm long. Stigma capitate. Fruit about 3.5 mm long, obovate-rotundate, with 3 longitudinal furrows, brown, shiny, with a small, depressed calyx-area.