Phyllopodium mimetes Hilliard

Annual herb c. 90-200 mm tall but will flower as a tiny seedling, stem simple to very sparingly branched from the base, outer branches erect or decumbent, terminating in long nude peduncles, each bearing a solitary head, pubescent with retrorse ± appressed hairs up to c. 0.5 mm long, glandular-puberulous as well on upper parts, leafy only at base. Leaves opposite becoming alternate and bracteate upwards, main leaves crowded at base, only 2-3 pairs, blade c. 5-10 x 3-5 mm, ovate to elliptic tapering into a petiolar part c. 3.5-9 mm long, this about equalling or up to twice as long as blade, rapidly shorter, narrower and distant upwards, margins entire to obscurely toothed, both surfaces thinly pubescent, hairs on petiolar part c. 0.5-1 mm long. Flowers few to many in rounded heads c. 5-8 mm in diam., elongating to c. 10-12 mm in fruit, lowermost 2 or 3 flowers very occasionally distant. Bracts at base of inflorescence c. 2.5-4 x 0.5-1 mm, smaller upwards, oblong, adnate to pedicel and calyx tube, glabrous except for patent hairs on margins, these up to 0.5-0.75 mm long. Pedicels up to 0.5 mm long. Calyx bilabiate, tube c. 0.5-1 mm long, anticous lobes 1-1.5 x 0.4-0.6 mm, anticous lip split c. 1-1.25 mm, pubescent on margins and keels. Corolla tube 2.1-3 x 0.6-0.75 mm broadening in throat, limb 3.25-5 mm across the lateral lobes, posticous lobes c. 0.75-1.75 x 0.75-1 mm, anticous lobe c. 1.6-3 x 0.5-0.8 mm, all elliptic-oblong, mauve, bearded at base of posticous lip and on the two lateral lobes, hairs running down back of tube, probably a yellow-orange patch at base of posticous lip. Stamens 4, either well exserted or occasionally reduced in size and only reaching the mouth, anther lobes normally 0.5-0.6 mm long, c. 0.2 mm when reduced and sometimes almost lacking pollen. Stigma well exserted. Capsule c. 2.5-3 x 1.5 mm Seeds c. 0.5 mm long, ± elliptic in outline, almost smooth, testa greyish-mauve, endosperm amber-coloured, visible through testa.