Tough woody shrublet c. l00-600 mm tall, compact or lax, main branches tufted from a very stout woody taproot, erect to decumbent, either simple or virgately branched, tips of branchlets (old inflorescence axes) sometimes becoming subspinescent, young parts puberulous, hairs up to 0.1-0.15 mm long, ± patent to retrorse, leafy. Leaves usually alternate, fascicled, largest primary leaves 1-10 x 0.25-0.8 mm (axillary leaves often smaller, 1-6 x 0.25-0.8 mm), linear, linear-lanceolate, occasionally ovate when leaves very small (axillary linear to broadly elliptic), apex obtuse or subobtuse, base slightly narrowed, margins entire, revolute, texture thick, glandular-punctate, very minute hairs scattered all over (often leaf looks glabrous except on very careful inspection), conspicuous hairs c. 0.1-0.15 mm, occasionally c. 0.3 mm, on margins at extreme base. Inflorescence a long narrow oblong or pyramidal terminal panicle composed of few-flowered glomerules c. 4-7 x 4-6 mm, elongating in fruit and flowers then ± distant, either sessile on the main axis or on leafy branchlets up to 30 mm long, these often bearing few to many lateral glomerules in addition to the terminal one, the main axis sometimes becoming subspinescent after the flowers have fallen. Bract adnate to calyx tube and minute pedicel if present, lowermost 2-3.2 x 1-1.2 mm, ovate, subacute, concave, thick-textured, hairs c. 0.1 mm long on margins, usually a few on the lower part of the back, very minute scattered glands as well. Pedicels, when present, up to c. 0.2 mm long. Calyx 1.5-1.8 mm long, obliquely campanulate, 2 anticous lobes larger than the other three, rarely irregularly 3-5-lobed, hairs up to 0.1-0.2 mm long on margins, minute globose glands scattered over outside of tube, sometimes a few, rarely many, hairs c. 0.1 mm long on posticous side. Corolla tube 2.3-3.5 mm long, broadly funnel-shaped, limb c. 3.2-4.5 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lobes 1.1-1.5 x 0.8-1.1 mm, anticous lobe 1.8-2.5 x 1.1-1.3 mm, all lobes elliptic or oblong-elliptic, white or shades of mauve. Stamens: posticous filaments 2-2.6 mm long, anticous filaments 2.2-3 mm, all anthers well exerted. Stigma and style c. 3-4.5 mm long, style glabrous. Ovary c. 0.4-0.5 x 0.4-0.5 mm. Cocci 1.3-2 x 0.8-1.1 mm, red-brown, smooth.
Home