Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Densely branching shrubs 0.3–2 m tall.

Stems: Stems densely sericeous with straight, silvery–white, appressed, simple hairs 0.2–0.6 mm long, twigs densely white–sericeous, terete (cylindrical) or slightly quadrangular, 1.5–2.5 mm diam. the internodes (0.5–)1–6.5 cm long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades elliptic, narrowly elliptic, lanceolate, rarely rhombic–elliptic or obovate–elliptic, (2–)3–7.5 x (0.6–)1–4.6 cm, chartaceous, adaxially. Apex acute or acuminate. Base narrowly cuneate to attenuate. Surfaces sparsely to densely sericeous with appressed hairs, often white–punctate, the hairs often denser along the costa, Lower surfacely densely white–sericeous. Margins entire. Lateral veins 7–10 on a side, ascending straight then arching near margin. Petiolate, equal; petioles 3–12 x 0.8–1.5 mm, adaxially flattened or concave, narrowly winged distally, densely sericeous. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescence terminal and usually solitary, rarely 2 or 3 together, (3–)4–18 x (2–)3–19 cm, a compoundly branched dichasium of spikes, the branches divaricate, the peduncle 2–8(–11) cm long, terminated by a sessile or shortly pedunculate spike, the primary branches 2–4(–5), radiate, 1.5–5.5 cm long, often unequal, each terminated by a sessile or shortly pedunculate spike, this often subtended by a pair of secondary branches 0.3–2 cm long, each terminated by 1 or 3 sessile spikes; spikes (4–)8–30(–66)–flowered, 5–20(–35) mm long, 5–7 mm diam. Flowers bisexual (perfect) weakly ascending, actinomorphic, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 0.5–3 x 1.8–2 mm, each subtended by an externally sericeous, scarious, ovate bract 1.5–2 x 0.8–1 mm, persistent on the rachis, and 2 externally sericeous, scarious, narrowly ovate bracteoles 1.2–1.8 x 0.8–1 mm long, deciduous with the calyx and fruit. Calyx of 4 sepals, equal, ovate, 2.3–3 x 1–2 mm, concave, externally uniformly white-sericeous, internally glabrous, the apex usually mucronulate. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 4, included, the anthers ellipsoid, 0.5 mm long, bilobed at apex and base; filaments 0.7–0.9 mm long, pilose, connate at base. Ovary superior, 2–3(4)-carpellate, the carpels connate to form a compound, 1-celled ovary, subglobose–depressed, 0.6–0.8 mm long, white–pilosulous, the persistent style 0.5–0.6 mm long; stigma capitate.

Fruit: Fruit enclosed by the persistent calyx; ellipsoid or obovoid; 2 x 1.4 mm; pilosulous distally; the wall thin; tardily transversely dehiscent. Seeds 1 per fruit; broadly ellipsoid; 1.5–1.6 x 1.1–1.2 mm; seed coat shiny brown; the surface usually lustrous; endosperm essentially absent.

Ploidy:

Habitat: North–facing cliffs and ridges in remnants of diverse lowland and montane mesic forest; restricted to steep slopes and cliffs where remnants of native lowland and montane mesic forest and diverse cliff vegetation have escaped the ravages of feral goats.

Elevation Range: 600–1100 m.