Phylica lucens Pillans

A much branched shrub, about 50 cm high, with ascending, wiry branches. Branchlets slender, clothed with short, spreading pubescence Leaves very closely set, 8-10 mm long: lamina erect-spreading, linear, acute, apiculate, rounded at base, semiterete, mostly straight, with closely revolute margins covering the lower surface; upper surface closely tubercled, at first pubescent, soon becoming glabrous: petiole about 1.5 mm long. Capitula solitary, 5-6 mm wide, depressed-hemisphaeric, surrounded by several conspicuous leaves and the outer leaf-like bracts. Bracts of the inner flowers about 2 mm long, oblanceolate, acute, villous on the outer surface. Bracteoles 2, almost as long, linear. Flowers about 2 mm long, on a short villous stipe: calyx-tube widely cyathiform, glabrous: sepals 1 mm long, deltoid-ovate, acute, flattened, keeled on the upper half, gibbous at the apex, densely tomentose on the outer surface. Petals inserted at the mouth of the tube: lamina orbicular, deeply concave, cucullate: claw about half as long, linear. Anthers reniform, 1-celled. Ovary turbinate, glabrous. Stigma subsessile. Fruit about 5 mm long, obovate, smooth, blackish, with a very small calyx-area.