Polycarena lilacina Hilliard

Annual herb c. 100-260 mm tall, stem occasionally simple, usually corymbosely branched from above the middle, occasionally somewhat divaricate, glandular-pubescent, hairs 0.25-0.4 mm long, dwarf axillary shoots sometimes present. Leaves 10-40 x 0.5-2(-5)mm, mostly diminishing in width rather than in length upwards, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, entire or with 1-3 pairs of teeth, both surfaces sparsely glandular-pubescent. Flowers few to many (at least 10 in the main heads) in dense terminal heads that elongate slightly in fruit, pedicels up to 1 mm long. Bracts (6-)7.5-15 x 0.4-1 mm, linear, lowermost often with 1 or 2 pairs of teeth, glandular-pubescent on both surfaces, hairs 0.25-0.4 mm long, with conspicuous dark apical gland. Calyx 5-7.5 mm long, anticous lobes very small, posticous one 0.75-1 mm long, glandular-pubescent, hairs 0.25-0.4 mm long. Corolla tube 11.5-17 x 0.75-1.25 mm, glandular-pubescent, limb 7-13.5 mm across, lobes broadly elliptic, posticous ones (2-)3-6 x 1.4-3 mm, anticous one 3-5.5 x 24.5 mm, white or pale mauve, yellow patch at base of posticous lip and there bearded, a few hairs extending onto the 2 lateral lobes. Stamens: anticous pair well exserted, anthers 0.75-1 mm long, posticous pair in the throat, anthers 1.3-1.5 mm long. Stigma exserted. Capsules 4-6 x 3-3.5 mm Seeds many, c. 1 mm long, distinctly 3-winged.