Pimelea traversii subsp. boreus

Detailed description

A much-branched small to medium-sized shrub up to 800 mm tall (reduced in stature on exposed sites, rocky substrates, and poor soils). Branches erect, ± fastigiate; branchlets hairy at leaf axils and on receptacles, glabrous or, in some forms, with bands of hair between node buttresses on internodes. Node buttresses relatively narrow and intervening internode surfaces sometimes covered with short, villous hair, medium to dark brown or black, usually prominent after leaf fall, stems aging grey-brown, grey or black. Internodes 1–4 mm long. Leaves decussate, ascending to patent, often closely imbricate, on very short petioles (0.2 mm) or sessile. Lamina large, light olive green, sometimes red-margined, moderately thick to distinctly membranous, elliptic to broad elliptic, 6–10 × 3–6 mm, slightly keeled, concave above, obtuse, base angustate or cuneate; margins thickened, slightly down-turned; midvein evident on under side, lateral veins obscure. Stomata only on abaxial side. Inflorescences many-flowered, pedicels 0.2 mm long, persistent. Involucral bracts 4, usually wider than the leaves (6–9 × 4–8 mm). Plants gynodioecious. Flowers hairy on outside; inside densely hairy in ovary portion and lower tube, sometimes sparsely hairy in upper tube; fragrant, white, sometimes pinkish with red lower tube. Calyx lobes open in salverform fashion. Female tube to 6 mm long, ovary portion 4 mm, calyx lobes 2.5 × 1.3 mm. Staminodes short, at mouth of tube. Hermaphrodite tube to 9 mm long, ovary portion 3 mm, calyx lobes 4 × 2.2 mm; anther filaments inserted below mouth of tube; anthers yellow. Ovary with abundant hair at summit, less densely hairy to about half-way down. Fruits ovoid, green, drying brown, 4 mm long. Seeds ovoid, 3.5 × 1.6 mm. Dried hypanthia persistent and dispersing with fruits inside.