Stilbe gymnopharyngia (Rourke) Rourke

A low, dense, much branched, sprawling to prostrate shrublet, forming mats up to 1 m in diameter and 30-50 cm in height. Leaves densely imbricate, occasionally spreading, 3-7 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, ericoid, in whorls of 3 or 4, lanceolate-acute with revolute margins; minutely petiolate; glabrous but minutely scabrous on upper surface. Inflorescence a dense spike, 1-1.5 cm long, sessile. Flowers solitary, sessile, subtended by a leaf-like bract. Floral bracts 2, opposite, 4-5 mm long, linear acute, prominently keeled and thickened towards apex, membranous and hyaline proximally; sparsely pilose. Calyx 5 mm long, tubular-cylindric, 5 lobed, the 2 anterior lobes more deeply cleft than the 3 posterior lobes; outer surface densely pilose but becoming glabrous proximally. Corolla tubular, bilabiate, 5 lobed, glabrous; tube 5-6 mm long, lobes 3-4 mm long, the two posterior lobes erect, narrowly oblong, obtuse, the 3 anterior lobes narrowly lanceolate, acuminate. Stamens 4, exerted; inserted at mouth of corolla between the sinuses of the 4 anterior corolla lobes. Filaments 4-5 mm long. Anthers basifixed dehiscing by 2 longitudinal slits. Style 5 mm long, filiform, straight, arising from the abaxial end of the ovary, terminating in a simple stigma. Ovary oblong, slightly laterally compressed, glabrous; the style arising assymetrically on the abaxial surface of the ovary; potentially 2-chambered but the abaxial chamber abortive, leaving the adaxial chamber with a single basal ovule. Fruit 5-6 mm long, cylindric, laterally compressed, curved, brown and shiny, glabrous, dehiscing into 2 valves at apex only. Seed not seen.