Selago polystachya L.

Perennial herb eventually forming a bushy shrublet c. 200-400 mm tall, young stems very narrowly winged by raised midrib of primary leaf running down the stem, recurved hairs 0.15-0.5 mm long usually in ± well-defined bands, the area below the insertion of each primary leaf being glabrous to sparsely hairy, closely leafy. Leaves fascicled, opposite at base, soon alternate upwards, largest primary leaves 6-14 x 0.6-1.2 mm, linear-oblong to oblong-elliptic, apex subacute to acute, base slightly narrowed, margins entire, revolute, texture thick, venation invisible, midrib raised only on decurrent leaf base to form the wing described above, glandular-punctate, few to many coarse broad-based hairs up to c. 0.2-0.3 mm long always present on margins of at least primary leaves, often on lower surface as well, very rarely scattered on upper surface (when hairs sparse on primary leaves, axillary leaves may be glabrous). Inflorescence a crowded terminal spike up to c. 15-30 x 10-12 mm in fruit, occasionally solitary, usually several in a compact corymbose panicle elongating to 600-800 mm, flowers sessile. Bract adnate to calyx tube, lowermost 3.8-4.5 x 0.6-1.1 mm, narrowly elliptic, subacute, very shallowly concave in lower part only, coarse hairs up to 0.3-0.6 mm long on margins and at least lower part of back. Calyx 2-3 mm long, campanulate, subequally 5-lobed at least halfway to base, lobes narrowly triangular, very acute, acute hairs up to 0.2-0.5 mm long on margins and all over outer surface, very minute glandular hairs as well. Corolla tube c. 4.5-6.5 mm long, narrowly funnel-shaped, limb 4-6 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lobes 1.6-2.3 x 1-1.5 mm, anticous lobe 2-2.8 x 0.8-1.8 mm, all lobes oblong to elliptic, white. Stamens: posticous filaments 0.8-1.8 mm long, anthers in mouth or very shortly exerted; anticous filaments 1-2.8 mm long, anthers shortly exerted. Stigma and style 5-8.5 mm long, style pubescent. Ovary c. 0.8 x 0.4 mm. Cocci c. 2 x 1.2 mm, red-brown, very slightly rugulose.