Phylica hirta Pillans

A moderately branched shrub, 40-60 cm high, with wiry, rather virgate branches. Branchlets pubescent and villous with grey hairs. Leaves closely set, about 1 cm long: lamina erect-spreading, linear-lanceolate, acute, rounded at base, with revolute margins covering almost the whole of the lower surface: upper surface minutely and closely tubercled, at first covered with grey pubescence: petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a compact ovate or cylindric spike, solitary, 1-2.5 cm long, 0.7-1 cm wide. Bracts of the lower flowers foliaceous, of the upper 4-5 mm long, ovate or lanceolate, very acute, silky-villous on the dorsal surface. Bracteoles 2, ovate to linear-lanceolate, about 3 mm long. Flowers 4.5-5 mm long, shortly stipitate, covered outside with short tomentum and long, ascending, silky hairs, occasionally only sparsely tomentose upon the ovary: calyx-tube about 1.25 mm deep, cyathiform: sepals 2.5 mm long, erect-spreading, ovate, acuminate; inner surface slightly concave at base, convex upwards, pubescent on the convex portion. Petals inserted at or near the mouth of the tube, 0.75 mm long, linear or setaceous, acuminate, incurved. Anthers 1-celled. Ovary broadly obconic. Style about 0.5 mm long, stout, trigonous. Stigma scarcely widened, entire. Fruit about 5 mm long, rotundate, wrinkled, with a small depressed area on the summit.