Perennial herb, stems 150-400 mm long, many tufted from crown of woody taproot, crown up to c. 20 mm in diam., stems prostrate to erect, loosely branched, floriferous in upper part, puberulous, hairs 0.1-0.15 mm long, strongly recurved, ± appressed, leafy. Leaves opposite, soon alternate upwards, fascicled, largest primary leaves 6-20 x 0.6-1 mm, linear or very narrowly elliptic, apex acute, base slightly narrowed in broadest leaves, margins entire, thickened, midrib slightly raised on lower surface, invisible on upper, glandular-punctate, coarse hairs less than 0.1 mm long on margins and midline on lower surface, occasionally a few on upper surface as well; axillary leaves similar but smaller. Inflorescence composed of innumerable small racemes c. 3-4 x 3-4 mm in first flower, elongating to c. 10-20 mm in fruit, flowers then distant, peduncles c. 10-20 mm long, leafy, massed in narrow panicles often corymbosely or subcorymbosely arranged. Bract adnate to pedicel and calyx tube, lowermost (excluding occasional leaf-like ones) 1.7-2.2 x 0.6-0.7 mm, oblong, obtuse, cucullate, incurved, with a narrow white membranous margin, few coarse hairs up to 0.1 mm long on margins at base, sometimes on tips, occasionally glabrous. Pedicel 0.1-0.3 mm long. Calyx 1-1.2 mm long, obliquely 3-lobed, anticolateral lobes 0.8-1.1 x 0.6-0.7 mm, hairs up to 0.1-0.15 mm on margins at least at tips, outside globular glands mainly on posticous side. Corolla tube 1-1.5 mm long, funnel-shaped, limb 2-3 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lip 0.7-1 x 0.7-1.2 mm, entire, anticous lobe 1-1.6 x 0.7-1 mm, oblong-elliptic, all lobes white. Stamens: posticous filaments 1-1.4 mm long, anticous filaments 1.2-1.8 mm, all anthers well exserted. Stigma and style c. 1.3-2.5 mm long, style glabrous. Ovary c. 0.3 x 0.3 mm. Cocci 1-1.25 x 0.8-1 mm, red-brown, smooth, the pair reniform in outline. Flowering mainly between November and March, with records as late as May and July (latter on the coast).
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