Thamnea matroosbergensis A.V.Hall

Sprawling shrublets, up to 0.3 m high, no coppice shoots or lignotuber recorded; distal branching dense to diffuse, main lateral branches spreading rather widely from main axis, fairly evenly dispersed along it; leaves obscuring more densely branched stems; young stems ridged, glabrous, older stems almost smooth. Leaves spirally arranged, elliptic, 0.8-1.0(-1.2) mm long, sessile with attachment ± 1/3 of leafs area, from side rather discoid with base curving abruptly into stem, abaxial surface strongly keeled, flat or slightly channelled between keel and leaf margin, surfaces glossy brown, glabrous; margins hyaline; stipules absent; stomata on abaxial side only. Bud leaf colleter incurved, broadly triangular-acute, semiterete, 0.1 mm long, dark brown, lost from older leaves. Inflorescence: flowers solitary, sessile at ends of main branches, some on 1-22 mm long side branches no different from leafy vegetative stems, terminal flower opening from before to later than those on side branches; old receptacles and bracts not persistent. Involucral bracts 6-10, up to 2 mm long, lower leaf-like but with a rapid transition distally to wider laminae, upper ovate, obtuse but with a dark apiculus, rather hard-textured, distally shortly ciliate. Floral receptacle ± 0.2 mm long, glabrous, finely ribbed, transition to calyx with a slight indentation. Sepals free, lanceolate, 1.7-2.1 mm long, acute, imbricate, keeled, terminating in a hyaline to brown tip, distally ciliate. Petals ± 2.5 mm long, white, weakly clawed; limb broadly obovate obtuse, spreading; 2 narrow ridges along the prominent midrib near base of adaxial surface. Stamens 1.5-2.1 mm long; anthers 0.9 mm long, distally lunate; pollen 3-colporate. Flower scent not recorded. Nectarostomata present around upper edge of ovary. Ovary 2/3 inferior, 1-locular with free central axile placenta bearing 4-8 pendulous ovules at apex; style 0.6-0.9 times as long as sepals, tapering; stigma capitate. Fruit ellipsoid, 1.8 mm long, distal end with short umbonate dome, red-brown, shallowly sulcate, glabrous; style-base persistent, broadly convex.