Spatalla caudata R.Br.

An erect shrub to 1 m tall, with a stout main stem. Branches very straight erect, reddish and glabrous. Leaves linear, 8-18 mm long, semi-terete, concave on the upper surface, sparsely sericeous, at least on the upper surface. Inflorescence terminal, sessile, often with 2 or 3 lateral inflorescences developing below it later; a cylindric raceme up to 7 cm long, usually 5-6 cm long. Bracts narrowly lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 6 mm long, sericeous to glabrous. Involucres 3 flowered, subsessile to pedicellate, pedicel 1 mm long. Bracteoles free, upper 3 bracteoles lanceolate acute, villous, 5 mm long, the median anticous bracteole narrowly lanceolate linear, villous, 5 mm long, flattened in the vertical plane by the inward folding of the margins. Perianth 10 mm long, carmine in colour when fresh, curved in bud. Perianth limbs broadly elliptic, of equal size, lanate, curved at right angles to the perianth claws. Perianth claws 8 mm long, outer surface villous. Perianth tube 4-5 mm long, quadrangular, glabrous, but slightly villous at the top. Style filiform, 8 mm long, curved forwards at right angles in the apical region. Pollen presenter obliquely conic ovoid. Hypogynous scales linear, 1 mm long pale yellow. Ovary ovoid, 1 mm long, pilose. Fruits cylindric ovoid, 5 mm long, 1-2 mm broad, sericeous, truncate and broadly pedicellate at the base, apex beaked.