Ruspolia australis Vollesen

Scrambling or decumbent (rarely erect?) shrub to 4 m tall; plant drying black; young stems glabrous or sparsely puberulous at nodes. Leaves glabrous to sparsely puberulous, densest on veins; petiole ill-defined, to 2 cm long; lamina ovate to elliptic, largest 7-14 x 3-7 cm; apex acute to subacuminate with rounded tip, basal part below middle abruptly or gradually narrowed to a long decurrent base. Cymes 2-6 cm long, dense, with short lateral branches to 5 mm long in basal part (rarely unbranched), often also with lateral cymes from upper leaf axils; lower internodes to 1(2) cm long; flowers all in 3-7-flowered cymules; axis sparsely to densely sericeous-puberulous with curly hairs, no stalked capitate glands; lower 1-2 pairs of bracts sometimes foliaceous, others linear to narrowly triangular or ovate, ciliate with curly hairs, 6-12 mm long, persistent; pedicels 1-3 mm long, puberulous; bracteoles linear to narrowly triangular, ciliate with curly hairs, 6-10 mm long. Calyx 5-9 mm long, puberulous-ciliate with curly hairs. Corolla bright red, with darker spots towards centre, with scattered stalked capitate glands outside, no hairs; linear tube 2-2.8 cm long; throat 3-4 mm long; lobes 7-12 x 4-7(9) mm, elliptic, rounded. Filaments 3-4 mm long; anthers purple, c. 1 mm long. Capsule 3.8-4.8 cm long. Seeds 9-10 x c. 8 mm, smooth on outer surface, smooth with broad raised rim on inner surface.