Vexatorella latebrosa Rourke

An erect shrub 1-2 m in height with a single straight main trunk 20-35 mm in diam., usually branching at about 450 mm to form a rounded, divaricate crown up to 1 m in diam. Flowering branches 2-5 mm in diam., initially villous with short crisped trichomes interspersed, later glabrous. Leaves spreading to loosely ascending, entire, linear-spathulate, 50-65 mm long, 2-3 mm wide tapering in petiolar region, upper surface concave to broadly channelled, apex obtuse with a single reddish callus; surface densely villous to puberulous at first, glabrous when mature. Inflorescence a solitary terminal globose capitulum 25-30 mm in diam., sessile to shortly pedunculate, peduncle to 10 mm long; capitulum usually consisting of 40-50 flowers. Receptacle depressed-ovoid 6-8 mm in diam. Involucral bracts loosely 2-3-seriate, lanceolate-acuminate, 8-10 mm long, 2-3 mm broad at base, very densely villous. Perianth 15-18 mm long, straight in bud, actinomorphic; tube quadrangular, glabrous, 3-4 mm long; claws slender becoming coiled distally after anthesis, densely villous, carmine in live state; limbs very narrowly lanceolate-cymbiform, acute, 3 mm long, densely villous-hirsute. Anthers sessile, narrowly lanceolate-linear, connective prolonged into a distinct black apical boss. Floral bracts oblanceolate, acute to acuminate, tightly clasping perianth, 6-8 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, very densely lanate except at apex, enlarging and becoming woody if subtending a developing fruit. Style 15-18 mm long, straight, not elongating at anthesis, glabrous, with a prominent swelling at base; carmine in live state. Pollen presenter prominently clavate, 2 mm long, slightly annulate at junction with style, stigmatic groove terminal. Ovary oblong-lageniform, 3 mm long, puberulous. Hypogynous scales filiform-subulate, hyaline, 2 mm long, Fruit an oval, minutely puberulous to glabrous achene, 8-10 mm long, 4 mm wide, beaked at stylar end, obtuse and wrinkled at base. Flowering takes place in August and September, with the fruits ripening and dehiscing during late October and early November. The flowers are pink to carmine and sweetly scented.