Phyllopodium alpinum N.E.Br.

Perennial herb, branches several to many from the base, simple initially, soon branching, main branches sprawling or prostrate, bases becoming woody, up to 5 mm diam., sometimes rooting from lower parts of main branches, pubescent, hairs ± retrorse, up to 0.2-0.5 mm long, glandular-puberulous as well particularly on the upper parts, very leafy. Leaves opposite becoming alternate towards the tips, 4-14 x 1.5-6 mm, decreasing little in size upwards, spathulate or elliptic tapering gradually to a flat petiolar part, thick-textured, glandular-punctate, margins entire or with up to 3 pairs of small teeth, often glabrous except for patent eglandular hairs up to 0.5-1 mm long on the lower margins, or a few hairs on the midline below, occasionally very thinly pubescent on both surfaces. Flowers many in crowded rounded or oblong heads, in fruit up to c. 30(-50) x 8 mm, terminating all the branchlets, sometimes panicled, the plant very floriferous. Bracts at base of inflorescence c. 3.75-9 x 1-3 mm, leaf-like, spathulate or oblong-elliptic, adnate to pedicel and base of calyx, often glabrous on the backs except for marginal hairs up to 0.5-1 mm long, sometimes thinly pubescent. Pedicels up to 1.5 mm long. Calyx obscurely bilabiate, tube 0.25-0.6 mm long, anticous lobes 2-3 x 0.5-0.8 mm, anticous lip split 2-2.75 mm, whole calyx pubescent, hairs up to 0.5 mm long, glandular-puberulous as well. Corolla tube 4-4.5 mm long, cylindric below and there 0.75-1 mm in diam., abruptly expanded above and c. 2 mm across the mouth, limb 4.5-6.5 mm across the lateral lobes, posticous lobes 1-1.75 x 1-1.75 mm, anticous lobe 2-3 x 1.3-2.25 mm, all lobes elliptic, usually pink or mauve, occasionally white, with an orange patch at the base of the posticous lip and there heavily bearded, the hairs usually extending right round the mouth. Stamens 4, 2 exserted, 2 in mouth or shortly exserted, anthers 0.6-0.75 mm long. Stigma well exserted. Capsules 34.5 x 2.25-2.5 mm Seeds c. 5-8 in each loculus, 0.75-1 x 0.5-0.6 mm, elliptic, irregularly and sinuously wrinkled, pallid amber. Mostly in fruit by February.