Much-branched bushy shrub, (0.2–)0.3–1.8 m.; cortex of old wood greyish or brownish, ridged and sometimes cracking; young branchlets densely yellowish or whitish tomentose with rather long upwardly appressed simple hairs.. Leaves commonly broadly spathulate-obovate, varying to broadly ovate or oblong, more rarely narrowly obovate, or elliptical, obtuse to subacute or retuse (and then often apiculate); lamina (1–)2–4.5 × (0.6–)1–2.7 cm. in the larger stem leaves, shortly to longly cuneate at the base into the 0.4–0.7(–15) cm. petiole; indumentum similar to that of the branchlets, on the lower surface frequently most obvious along the midrib and primary nervation.. Inflorescences 2–15(–18) × 1.4–2.5 cm., dense or lax, on a 1–3(–5) cm. peduncle, both peduncle and inflorescence-axis canescent or greyish or whitish tomentose with simple hairs; lateral cymes mostly with 2–12 flowers, flowers sometimes partly solitary in lax-flowered forms; bracts deltoid-lanceolate or deltoid-ovate, with a single excurrent midrib, 2.5–4 mm., membranous but firm, glabrous or ciliate and pilose along the midrib, persistent and deflexed; bracteoles deltoid-ovate, acuminate, ± 5–7 mm., long pilose with barbellate hairs along the apical part or commonly throughout the dorsal surface of the single excurrent midrib, frequently ciliate along the margins, arista short and straight to long, fine and ± recurved.. Tepals lanceolate, 6–8 mm., the inner 3 slightly shorter, all green-vittate centrally and with hyaline margins, with a prominent midrib (excurrent in a sometimes slightly recurved arista) and 1–2 lateral nerves, densely furnished along the vitta with long barbellate hairs, or some tepals hairy in the upper part only or almost glabrous.. Stamens 5–6.5 mm., the filaments flattened, alternating with oblong denticulate staminodes ± 2 mm. long, each with a dorsal fimbriate-furcate scale.. Style 3.5–5.5 mm.. Capsule ovoid-cylindrical, 2.5 mm., truncate with a fine rim around the apex.. Seed ovoid, 2 mm., brown, smooth.. Fig. 10/1–9.
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