Phylica ericoides L.

A much branched usually compact shrub up to about 60 cm high. Branchlets slender, with a sparse covering of grey pubescence. Leaves closely set, mostly 5-8 mm long: lamina erect-spreading, linear or lanceolate-linear, obtuse or subacute, cordate or rounded at base, with closely revolute margins covering the lower surface; upper surface smooth or wrinkled, occasionally obscurely tubercled on the margins, glabrous or at first pilose on the midrib and margins: petiole 0.5-1 mm long. Capitula solitary or clustered, 4-7 mm wide, hemisphaeric, surrounded at base by foliaceous bracts of the outer flowers. Bracts of the inner flowers about 1 mm long, linear, densely hirsute on the outer surface. Bracteoles 2, similar but smaller. Flowers shortly stipitate, 1.5-2 mm long: calyx-tube about 0.5 mm deep, broadly cyathiform, glabrous: sepals 0.75 mm long, ovate, acute; inner surface distinctly convex on the upper half; outer surface with a dense covering of rather coarse, often curly, white hairs. Petals inserted on the upper half of the tube, scarcely 0.5 mm long: lamina elliptic and incurved-cucullate, or rotundate or orbicular, cucullate, occasionally galeate and with a dorsal ridge: claw about as long, linear or cuneate. Anthers 1-celled. Ovary narrowly obconic, glabrous. Stigma sessile. Fruit about 4 mm long, obovate, subtrilobed, glabrous, purple-brown, with a small depressed area on the summit.