Phylica fourcadei Pillans

A much branched shrub, about 45 cm high, with wiry branches. Branchlets slender, sparsely covered with short, subadpressed pubescence. Leaves usually closely set, 5-7 mm long: lamina somewhat incurved, linear-lanceolate, mucronulate and laterally compressed at the apex, rounded at base, semiterete or widely convex above, with closely revolute margins covering the lower surface; upper surface smooth, at first minutely pubescent on the margins and about the apex: petiole about 1 mm long. Capitula about 1 cm wide, on short branchlets and usually clustered, rotundate, loosely many-flowered, subtended by several leaves. Bracts of the outer flowers about 5 mm long, foliaceous, with an enlarged, pubescent petiole. Bracts of the inner flowers about 5 mm long, linear or acicular, subfoliaceous above the middle, pubescent on most of the outer surface. Bracteoles absent. Flowers stipitate, 0.9-1.3 cm long, covered outside with short, white tomentum: calyx-tube 6-8 mm deep, infundibuliform-tubular: sepals 2.75-3 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, keeled down the inner face, with incurved, papillose margins. Petals inserted at the mouth of the tube, 1.5-1.75 mm long: lamina elliptic-ovate, obtuse, concave, cucullate at the apex, with incurved margins: claw about half as long, linear-cuneate or oblong. Anthers 0.5 mm long, cordate, 2-celled: cells truncate at the upper end. Ovary turbinate. Style 7-9 mm long, slender, sparsely and minutely setose below the capitate stigma which is on a level with the apex of the petals or above. Fruit about 5 mm long, rotundate, velvety-pubescent, green, surmounted by a small calyx-base.