Phylica litoralis D.Dietr.

A much branched shrub, about 30 cm high, with wiry branches. Branchlets shortly velvety-pubescent, slender. Leaves closely set, 7-15 mm long: lamina erect-spreading or spreading, lanceolate, obtuse or subacute, cordate at base, slightly incurved, with revolute margins covering from about a quarter to a half of the lower surface; upper surface smooth, at first pilose on the margins and midrib, soon becoming glabrous: petiole 1-2 mm long. Capitula solitary or rarely clustered on very short branchlets, about 1 cm wide, hemisphaeric, many-flowered, involucred by a few reduced leaves and the outer bracts. Bracts of the inner flowers 2.5-3 mm long, linear, densely covered on the outer surface with ascending, long, white hairs. Bracteoles 2, setaceous, densely villous. Flowers shortly stipitate, 3-4 mm long: calyx-tube 0.25-0.5 mm deep, campanulate-obconic, glabrous, with an obscure disc lining the base: sepals 1-1.5 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acute; inner surface angular-convex on the upper half, glabrous; outer surface densely covered with long, white hairs. Petals inserted at or shortly below the mouth of the tube, 0.5 mm long: lamina orbicular, cucullate: claw as long, cuneate. Anthers 1-celled. Ovary obconic, glabrous. Stigma subsessile, rounded. Fruit about 5 mm long, obovate-rotundate, almost smooth, chestnut-brown, with a small depression on the summit.