Pimelea oreophila subsp. lepta

Detailed description

Procumbent, trailing shrub, with few to many, slender (2.0–2.5 mm), brown, flexible young stems densely covered in long, fine hairs, internodes 2–4 mm, node buttresses lunate, or extending the whole length of the internodes, with hairy strips between, sometimes moderately prominent on leafless stems. Older stems dark brown, up to 3 mm diameter, up to 500 mm long, occasionally with adventitious roots, sometimes climbing in upright shrubs. Reduced in stature on exposed sites with rocky substrates, sometimes forming short-stemmed, appressed rosettes. Branching mainly sympodial. Young stems brown, moderately densely covered in short or moderately long, white, grey or sometimes yellowish appressed hair cover; older stems darker brown, glabrate. Internodes of young stems 1–5mm long. Node buttresses lunate to elongate, or sometimes extending the full length of internodes, with bands of hair between; usually not very prominent on leafless stems. Leaves decussate, on short (0.5–1.0 mm), often red petioles, ascending at first, usually becoming patent, often with a distichous appearance on prostrate stems. Lamina 4–8 × 2–4 mm, glaucous or medium to dark green, elliptic or ovate flat or keeled, mid-vein evident; tip acute but usually blunt-pointed, sometimes obtuse; base cuneate; abaxial hairs long, dull white to yellowish, usually moderately dense especially at margins and forming a distinct coma at the tip, often becoming glabrous as leaves age; stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, 5–15-flowered, receptacle densely covered in short hairs. Involucral bracts 4, the same size as ordinary leaves, or larger (6 × 4 mm). Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, fragrant, on short pedicels (0.3 mm) densely covered with short hairs outside; inside hairless. Female tube 2.5–4.0 mm long, ovary portion 3 mm, calyx lobes 1–2 ×1 mm; hermaphrodite tube 4–6 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes 2.0–3.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary with dense clump of short or long hairs at summit. Fruits ovoid, fleshy, orange or red, 4 × 3 mm. Seeds ovoid 2.7 × 2.3 mm.