Selago albida Choisy

Woody shrublet, stems several tufted from a woody stock, c. 150-600 mm long, erect or decumbent, branching more or less virgate, lax, young parts puberulous, hairs up to 0.1-0.15 mm long, more or less retrorse, closely leafy. Leaves opposite or subopposite, alternate upwards, fascicled, sometimes weakly so, largest primary leaves 6-15(-25) x 0.7-2(-2.3) mm (width depending on how tightly the margins are rolled), axillary leaves similar but smaller, all oblong, narrowly elliptic or narrowly oblanceolate, apex subobtuse to acute, base slightly narrowed, margins entire, revolute, both surfaces puberulous, hairs up to 0.1 mm long, almost velvety in western part of range, almost scabridulous in eastern part (hairs broad-based). Inflorescence composed of few-to many (c. 50)-flowered spikes each terminating a sparsely leafy twiglet up to c. 20-40 mm long, these loosely panicled, the panicle sometimes compound, individual spikes c. 6-10 x 6-10 mm initially, elongating in fruit, lowermost flowers becoming distant. Bract adnate to at least lower third of calyx tube, lowermost (2.1-)3-3.5 x 0.7-1 mm, lanceolate, subacute, scarcely concave, pubescent, hairs up to 0.2-0.3 mm long on margins, 0.1-0.15 mm long on backs and upper part of inner face. Pedicels wanting or up to c. 0.2 mm long. Calyx 2-2.5 mm long, somewhat obliquely campanulate, 5-lobed about halfway to base, 2 anticous lobes larger than other three, all lobes deltoid, subacute, pubescent, hairs up to 0.15-0.25 mm long on margins, shorter elsewhere, mingled with minute globular glands. Corolla tube 3.1-3.8(-4.7) mm long, funnel-shaped, limb 4-5.3 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lobes 1.3-1.8 x 0.7-1.1 mm, anticous lobe 2-3.2 x 1.2-1.8 mm, all lobes elliptic or oblong, shades of mauve or blue, very rarely white. Stamens: posticous filaments 2-3.2 mm long, anticous filaments 2.1-3.8 mm, all anthers well exerted. Stigma and style c. 3.5-5.5 mm long, style puberulous, hairs sometimes few or wanting. Ovary c. 0.6 x 0.5 mm. Cocci 1.7-2.1 x 1-1.1 mm, red-brown, rugulose, inner face nearly plane with a shallow median groove. The plants favour rocky or stony sites in the eastern part of the range and flower mainly in March and April, while in western parts the sites are often recorded as sandy, and most flowering records are in July. However, flowering has been recorded in all months.