Spatalla parilis Knight

An erect well branched shrub to 1.5 m, with a stout main stem. Branches erect, slender, terete, thinly sericeous to glabrous. Leaves acicular terete, mucronate, 15-20 mm long, thinly sericeous, soon glabrous, erect ascending or outwardly spreading. Inflorescence sessile, a long narrow cylindric spike 3-6 cm long, 1-1.5 cm in diam.; usually terminal but with up to 6 lateral inflorescences developing below the main terminal inflorescence. Bracts acicular, sericeous, 7-9 mm long. Involucres single flowered, pedicellate, pedicel 2-3 mm long, sericeous. Bracteoles very narrowly lanceolate acuminate, 4-6 mm long, thinly sericeous to glabrous. Posticous bracteole free, the three anticous bracteoles fused only at the base. Perianth 9-10 mm long, strongly curved forward in bud. Perianth segments unequal, posticous segment galeate, larger than the three anticous segments. Perianth limbs elliptic, lanate, posticous perianth limb galeate. Perianth claws villous, the three anticous claws spreading forwards, posticous claw erect. Perianth tube 2-3 mm long, glabrous becoming villous towards the top. Anthers ovate, 1 mm long, apical boss black, rounded. Style erect, straight, 6-7 mm long. Pollen presenter an obliquely obovate cochleariform disc. Ovary ellipsoid, 1-2 mm long, sericeous. Hypogynous scales subulate, 1 mm long, pale yellow. Fruits cylindric ovoid, 4-5 mm long, slightly emarginate to truncate, broadly pedicellate at the base. Flowering occurs throughout the year.