Stoebe fusca Thunb.

Erect, small, much-branched shrubs, up to 0.3 m tall, or larger, densely entangled, up to 0.4 m tall or low-spreading, sparsely branched shrublets. Branches densely or sparsely leafy, often covered with a grey cobwebby indumentum. Leaves very variable, 2-8 mm long; ericoid; basally adpressed, upper part spreading or reflexed; straight, curling or twisting; tips mucronate or obtuse; abaxial surface cobwebby when young. Synflorescences terminal, capitula in loose globose, subglobose or funnel-shaped clusters, occasionally with some subterminal aggregations, mostly clearly distinguishable. Capitula homogamous, discoid, 1-flowered. Receptacle reduced, old receptacles covered in hairs and involucre bases so that individual capitulum stalks are not visible. Involucral bracts 13-16, bright yellow, chaffy or tinged plum-red in upper part; in several rows, outermost short, leafy, green, woolly; inner longer, slightly exceeding the sinuses of the corolla tube, scarious, with a thicker, central area and thinner margins that often tear with age, obtuse or subacute. Florets bisexual, bright pink or occasionally pale pink, tube 4 mm long; corolla lobes spreading, 1.2 mm long. Stamens 5, apical appendages lanceolate, very often exserted from tube in mature florets; basally tailed. Style bifid, branches shorter than the corolla lobes, base very slightly swollen. Nectaries present. Cypselas indistinctly 5-ribbed, covered with adpressed, shaggy hairs; hairs tapering towards the tips. Pappus setae 15-18, a little shorter than the floret and involucre; dehiscing very tardily; setae fused at the base, with a few spreading barbs; plumose almost from the base; plumes soft, flexible, somewhat tufted at the tips.