Spatalla ericoides E.Phillips

A small, much branched, rounded shrub to 0.5 m tall, main stem stout. Branches slender, terete, erect, glabrous, densely clothed with fine imbricate leaves, Leaves linear terete, mucronate, slightly incurved at the tip, glabrous, 5-12 mm long. Inflorescence sessile, single, cylindric to globose, 2-3 cm long, 1 cm in diam. Bracts linear lanceolate, carinate, 5-7 mm long, margins ciliate, outer surface pilose to glabrous. Involucres sessile, one flowered, large and conspicuous, 7 mm long 4 mm broad, differentiated into a distinct upper and lower lip. Lateral bracteoles of lower lip ovate acute, median anticous bracteole smaller, ovate acute, pubescent on the inner surface. Posticous bracteole broadly ovate acute. Involucre glabrous or nearly so. Perianth 8 mm long, the densely lanate limbs curved at right angles to the claws when in bud. Perianth carmine in live state. Perianth segments unequal, posticous segment longer and broader than the three anticous segments. Perianth limbs ovate acuminate, very densely lanate, posticous limb galeate. Perianth claws 7-8 mm long, outer surface puberulous with thin crisped hairs, inner surface densely pubescent, crisped. Perianth tube 1-1.5 mm long, glabrous, narrowing slightly towards the base. Anthers ovate, apical boss pointed, yellowish. Style 7-8 mm long, curved forwards at the tip. Pollen presenter an obliquely obovate cochleariform disc. Ovary ovoid 1 mm long, sericeous. Hypogynous scales linear subulate, hyaline, 1 mm long. Fruits cylindric, 5 mm long, truncate and pedicellate at the base, minutely puberulous.