Selago subspinosa Hilliard

Dwarf shrublets c. 120-350 mm tall, stems several from stout woody taproot, well branched, very woody, either gnarled and twiggy (probably heavily browsed) or more lax, old inflorescence axes persistent, becoming woody and subspinose, young parts pubescent, hairs up to 0.2-0.5 mm long, white, retrorse, appressed, closely leafy. Leaves opposite, alternate upwards, fascicled on old wood, not so on young twigs, largest primary leaves 4-11 x 0.5-1.5 mm, linear, linear-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, apex obtuse, base narrowed then abruptly expanded and half clasping, margins entire, strongly revolute, texture thin, midrib slightly raised on both surfaces, hairs up to c. 0.2 mm long scattered all over, slightly recurved, up to c. 0.5 mm long at extreme base; axillary leaves similar but smaller. Inflorescence composed of glomerules (racemes) c. 7-15 x 7-10 mm, either solitary at tips of leafy twiglets or occasionally forming short leafy panicles. Bract adnate to pedicel and calyx tube, lowermost 3.5-5 x 1.7-2.2 mm, broadly elliptic, lower part concave, apex obtuse or subacute, hairs up to 0.2-0.6 mm long on margins and upper part of inner face, c. 0.1-0.2 mm long scattered on back, recurved, minute stalked glands plentiful. Pedicel up to 0.2-0.5 mm long. Calyx 2.8-3.2 mm long, campanulate, 5-lobed more than halfway to base, 2 anticous lobes broader than other 3, all lobes oblong-lanceolate, ± obtuse, hairs up to 0.2-0.5 mm long on margins, few up to 0.15-0.2 mm long outside, together with minute stalked glands. Corolla tube 3.1-3.8 mm long, broadly funnel-shaped, limb 5-7 mm across lateral lobes, posticous lobes 1.2-2.7 x 0.9-1.7 mm, anticous lobe 2.5-5 x 1.2-2.2 mm, all lobes oblong to elliptic, shades of pink or mauve. Stamens: posticous filaments 2.8-3.8 mm long, anticous filaments 3.2-4.2 mm, all anthers far exerted. Stigma and style c. 3.2-5.5 mm long, style glabrous. Ovary c. 0.7 x 0.6 mm. Cocci not seen.