Polycarena silenoides Harv. ex Benth.

Annual herb, stem erect to 50-140 mm, simple or branched from the base, glandular-pubescent, hairs up to c. 0.5 mm long. Leaves 7-26 x 1-4.5 mm, linear to oblanceolate, apex subacute, base tapered, petiole-like, margins entire to obscurely toothed, both surfaces glandular-pubescent, the larger leaves glabrescent above. Inflorescence spicate, flowers few to several, often relatively distant, sessile or with pedicels to 1 mm long. Bracts c. 6-14 x 0.75-1.25 mm, longest at the base, all but the uppermost overtopping the flower, adnate to entire calyx tube, linear-oblong, glandular-pubescent. Calyx c. 4.25-4.5 mm long abaxially, 5.25-5.5 mm adaxially, anticous lobes c. 0.5 mm long, posticous lobes c. 1 mm, glandular-pubescent all over outside, particularly on the keels, hairs up to c. 0.5 mm long. Corolla tube c. 6-8 x 1.25 mm, minutely glandular-puberulous outside, limb c. 3.5 mm across, lobes oblong, obtuse, posticous ones 1.5 x 1 mm, anticous one 1.5 x 0.75-1.25 mm, posticous lip bearded at base, corolla 'deep cream colour' (Mrs Levyns). Stamens: anticous pair shortly exserted, anthers 0.5 mm long, posticous pair included, filaments decurrent nearly to base of tube, anthers 0.75 mm Stigma just exserted. Capsule 4-4.5 x 3.5-4 mm Seeds many, c. 1 mm long, 3-winged.