Phylica thunbergiana E.Mey.

A much branched shrub, 30-50 cm high, often rigid in the lower parts. Branchlets slender or rather wiry, with short, grey, spreading pubescence. Leaves closely set, 2.5-6 mm long: lamina lanceolate, tipped with an acute callus, deeply cordate at base, erect-spreading, sometimes slightly recurved at the middle, with closely revolute margins covering the lower surface or almost so; upper surface smooth, shiny, punctate on the revolute portions, at first rather sparsely clothed with short, grey pubescence: petiole short, hidden by the wide, almost lobed base of the lamina. Capitula 5-10 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, elliptic or rotundate, very compact, solitary, subtended by several short leaves. Bracts of the lower flowers foliaceous or partly so. Bracts of the upper flowers 2-3.5 mm long, oblanceolate or narrowly oblong, acute, densely covered on the outer surface with silky, white hair. Bracteoles 2, slightly shorter, linear, villous. Flowers shortly stipitate, 2.5-4 mm long, densely covered outside with long, ascending, silky, white hairs: calyx-tube 0.75-1 mm deep, cyathiform, glabrous within: sepals 1-1.5 mm long, deltoid-ovate, attenuate, flattened at base, angular-convex on the narrower part, bearded with white hairs on the lower half. Petals inserted half way up the tube, 0-5 mm long: lamina orbicular, deeply concave, with pale cilia on the margin: claw scarcely as long, linear. Anthers 1-celled. Ovary obconic. Stigma divided into 3 small rounded lobes, seated upon a short, terete style.