Spatalla squamata Meisn.

An erect, slender, sparsely branched shrublet, to 1 m tall. Branches very slender, flexuous, covered with densely imbricate terete leaves. Leaves linear terete, filiform, mucronate, 10-30 mm long, sparsely pilose when young, soon glabrous. Inflorescence single, terminal and sessile, globose to subglobose, 1-2 cm in diam., a congested but few flowered raceme. Bracts linear lanceolate, acuminate, 5-8 mm long, sericeous, margins ciliate. Involucres single flowered, sessile. Bracteoles of equal size, free, lanceolate, acute to acuminate, sericeous to glabrous, margins ciliate, 3-5 mm long 0.5-1 mm broad. Perianth segments unequal, posticous segment longer and broader than the three anticous segments. Perianth claws villous, the three anticous claws curved forwards, posticous claw erect. Perianth limbs lanceolate to elliptic, densely villous, posticous limb galeate. Perianth tube glabrous, 1-2 mm long, occasionally inflated. Anthers sessile, ovate, 0.5-1 mm long, apical boss very poorly developed, almost absent. Style straight, 7 mm long, curved forwards in the apical region. Pollen presenter an obliquely conical to obovate cochleariform disc. Hypogynous scales subulate, hyaline, 1 mm long. Fruits cylindric ovoid, 4 mm long, 1 mm in diam., puberulous, broadly pedicellate at the base. There is a well defined flowering period, from August to October. By December, most of the flowers have dropped, and the bracteoles of the involucres enlarge conspicuously, becoming more membranous and bright carmine in colour.