Stoebe aethiopica L.

Robust, erect, woody, often single-stemmed, variable shrubs, up to 1.6 m tall, height varying according to the surrounding vegetation or age of the veld, usually branching freely. Branches strong, rigid, main branch up to 25 mm in diam., secondary branches up to 10 mm in diam., very densely or sparsely leafy, leaf scars prominent on bare branches; young growth villous or pubescent, becoming almost glabrous with age. Leaves up to 10 x 3 mm; very rigid; varying from almost flat, broadly cymbiform and straight to strongly involute, narrowly triangular, twisted, geniculate or recurved; abaxial surface smooth or velutinous towards the base, often with waxy deposits, especially around stomata where it forms small hollow, tubular protrusions; adaxial surface tomentose, hairs long, flexible with a hairpin bent in the middle, upper end twisted around lower half; leaf apex developed into a very strong mucro. Synflorescences consisting of many clusters of capitula in funnel-shaped or very tight, globose, terminal heads, up to 20(-25) mm in diam., subtended by a rosette of leaves; clusters of 3-8 capitula subtended by very rigid, flat leaves. Capitula homogamous, discoid, 1-flowered, in very tight arrangements. Receptacle reduced to short stalks on a swollen base. Involucral bracts narrow, almost linear, slightly wider toward the tips, 5-6 mm long; tips distinctly darker than the rest of the bracts, glabrous or tomentose. Disc florets bisexual, white, in dry material lower half pale-yellow and upper half dark brown; widening in upper half; corolla lobes triangular, spreading or reflexed. Nectaries present, often bright orange. Cypselas tomentose, with straight, antrorse hairs in a tidy arrangement; hair tips rounded; annulus well developed, consisting of a ring of partially fused hairs clasping the pappus base. Pappus setae 18, shaft basally flattened, partially fused at the very base; barbed in lower half, upper half plumose; plumes ascending, very fine, tips acuminate; setae shorter than the corolla tube and just touching the lobe sinuses.