Polycarena capensis Benth.

Annual herb 70-280 mm tall, stems simple or corymbosely branched either from the base or in the upper half, glandular-pubescent, all hairs c. 0.25-0.3 mm long, very leafy, in part owing to the rich development of dwarf axillary shoots. Leaves (primary leaves) 6-28 x 0.75-1.25 mm, diminishing in width rather than in length upwards except on the inflorescence branches, linear to oblanceolate, mostly with 1-2(-3) pairs of very small teeth, both surfaces glandular-pubescent. Flowers few to many in dense terminal heads corymbosely arranged, heads elongating somewhat in fruit, pedicels up to 1-1.5 mm long. Bracts 5-10(-13) x 0.5-1 mm, adnate almost to top of calyx, linear, very occasionally the lowermost with 1 or 2 teeth, glandular-pubescent on both surfaces, hairs 0.25-0.3 mm long. Calyx 4-5.5(-7) mm long, anticous lobes very short, posticous one 1-1.5 mm long, glandular-pubescent all over, hairs 0.25-0.3(-0.4) mm long. Corolla tube (7-)9.5-14 x 1-1.5 mm, glandular-pubescent, limb (7-)8-14 mm across, lobes broadly elliptic, posticous ones 24 x 2-3.5 mm, anticous one 3-6 x 2.25-4.5 mm, pale yellow, or creamy-coloured on the Cape Peninsula and nearby, orange-yellow at base of lobes and in throat, and there strongly bearded. Stamens: anticous pair well exserted, anthers 1-1.25 mm long, posticous pair in throat, filaments decurrent to base of tube, anthers 1.25-1.5 mm long. Stigma exserted. Capsules 4.5-7 x 3.5-5 mm Seeds many, c. 1 mm long, distinctly 3-winged. Flowering between August and October, but mainly in September.