Dwarf woody shrublet with a thick woody simple taproot, c. 50-300 mm tall, divaricately well branched, branches spreading to erect, old parts nude, often gnarled, young parts puberulous, hairs up to c. 0.1 mm long, retrorse, closely leafy. Leaves opposite, alternate upwards, not or scarcely fascicled, largest leaves 4-10 x (0.6-)1-1.3 mm, oblong or narrowly elliptic, apex obtuse or subacute, base slightly narrowed then abruptly expanded and half-clasping, margins entire, thickened, revolute, texture thick, midrib invisible on upper surface, slightly raised on lower, very minutely puberulous all over, the hairs often invisible but the surface of the leaf minutely tuberculate and wrinkled at least when dry, or hairs sometimes more distinct, but always scattered, up to 0.1 mm long on margins of clasping base. Inflorescence a small solitary terminal spike or raceme c. 8 x 8 mm in first flower (no fruiting ones seen). Bract adnate to at least half calyx tube, lowermost 2-4.2 x 0.6-0.8 mm, oblong, obtuse to subacute, hairs up to 0.15-0.25 mm long on margins, up to 0.1-0.2 mm long at least on lower back, a few minute glandular hairs scattered on both surfaces. Pedicels either wanting or up to 0.5 mm long. Calyx 1.5-2.6 mm long, obliquely campanulate, 5-lobed roughly halfway to base, two anticous lobes distinctly larger (longer and somewhat broader) than the others, hairs up to 0.2-0.25 mm long on margins, up to 0.15-0.2 mm long all over outside, together with minute globular glands. Corolla tube 2.7-3.5 mm long, funnel-shaped, limb 3.2-5 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lobes 1.2-1.5 x 0.8-1 mm, anticous lobe 1.6-2.5 x 1-1.4 mm, all lobes oblong-elliptic, white. Stamens: posticous filaments 1.5-2.2 mm long, anticous filaments 2-2.5 mm, all anthers well exerted. Stigma and style c. 3.2-5.5 mm long, style with a few minute hairs. Ovary c. 0.7 x 0.4 mm. Cocci not seen. The plants flower between December and March, and will do so even when heavy browsing has reduced the height of the bush to only a few centimetres.
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Woody, dwarf shrub, up to 300 mm high; well branched. Leaves not or hardly tufted, main ones up to 10 x 1.3 mm, oblong or narrowly elliptic; minutely puberulous all over. Flowers in a single, terminal spike or raceme, ± 8 x 8 mm, globular at first, probably staying so in fruit. Bracts adnate to 1/2 calyx tube, or more, lowest oblong, obtuse to subacute, margins with hairs, shorter, retrorse hairs on lower back at least. Pedicels absent to minute. Calyx 5-lobed, 2 anticous lobes much larger than others, lobes thick. Corolla white. Flowering time Dec.-Mar.