2n = 16

2n = 16

Low-growing rhizomatous subshrub, usually 5–35 mm tall, forming dense patches. Branches and branchlets ascending, sometimes decumbent; branches brown; branchlets light brown to yellow-green or with reddish new growth, puberulent, crowded. Leaves spirally arranged, densely crowded on stems, up to 10 per mm, imbricate, erect, obovate-oblong; apex with translucent, acicular, rigid, pungent tip, 0.4–1.0 mm long; lamina olive-green, 1.0–2.5(–5.0) mm long (excluding tip), 0.5–1.5(–2.7) mm wide, coriaceous; adaxial surface usually concave, mostly glabrous, occasionally with a few scattered hairs at the base, shining; abaxial surface duller with actinodromous venation and 3–5 main veins; margins translucent, membranous, ciliolate; petiole short, 0.2–0.6(–0.8) mm long, 0.3–0.8(–1.0) mm wide, erect and ± appressed to stem, sparingly puberulent at base, margins ciliolate. Inflorescence axillary; flowers hermaphrodite, solitary, sweetly scented. Pedicel offset to axis of flower, 0.4–1.0(–1.4) mm long, puberulent. Bracts and bracteoles usually 7, cream with a green central flush, orbicular, apiculate, often with a few scattered hairs at apex of inner surface; margins ciliolate, often ciliate near the apex. Largest bracts 2, (0.9–)1.4–2.2 mm long, (0.8–)1.2– 1.8 mm wide, opposite and overlapping, clasping the calyx base, 47% (35–65%) the length of the sepals. Two smaller structures decussate to and below the largest bracts. Remaining bracteoles smaller, usually 4, ± appressed to pedicel. Sepals 5 (rarely 4), cream with yellow or pinkish central flush, often with a green basal flush, 2.4–4.3 mm long, 1.2–2.0 mm wide, narrow triangular, striate, imbricate, often with a few scattered hairs at base and apex of inner surface; apex subacute, apiculate; margin ciliate to ciliolate. Calyx 63% (47–78%) the height of the corolla tube. Corolla tube creamy-white, 4.4–6.7 mm long, 1.4–2.9 mm wide, tubular, 55% (40–71%) of the inner surface bearded; hairs dense near the corolla lobes, moderately dense about the middle, and virtually glabrous near the base, ornamented, with minute tubercles (×250). Corolla lobes 5 (rarely 4), spreading to strongly recurved, 1.5–2.5 mm long, narrowly triangular; acute or subacute; apex with a glabrous apiculus, 0.1–0.3 mm long; lobe margins finely crenulate. Corolla lobes densely hairy on inner surface; hairs ornamented, with minute tubercles (×250). Filament fused to corolla tube along most its length, free part 0.1–0.4 mm long, glabrous. Anthers 5 (rarely 4), brown, 0.9–1.4(–1.9) mm long, linear-oblong; introrse, attached to filament slightly above the midpoint, included within corolla tube. Pollen straw-coloured. Ovary green, 0.8–1.3 mm long, ovoid, glabrous or with hairs confined to area adjacent to style base, 5-loculed; ovules solitary, pendulous. Glandular scales five, yellow-green, 0.3– 0.6 mm high, free, lobed at apex. Style green to straw-coloured to reddish, 3.8–6.8 mm long; style hairs ornamented (×250), up to 0.7 mm long on lower 50–95% of style, upper part of style with minute papillae (×100); stigma 5-lobed, tinted red, 0.2–0.7 mm high, adjacent or above anthers. Fruit a baccate drupe, orange to orange-yellow, 4.2–4.6 mm high, 4.5–5.1 mm wide, broadly oblong, glossy, glabrous except for hairs around style or stylar scar, withered style often persistent. Endocarp light brown-yellow, 2.3–2.8 mm tall, 1.9–2.4 mm wide, broadly oblong, coarsely striate, containing 2(–5?) pyrenes. Seeds light brown-cream, 1.8–2.4 mm long, 0.5–1.1 mm wide, plano-convex. FL Sep–Jan(– Mar); FT Nov–May.

Suffrutex rhizomatosus humilis plerumque 5–35 mm altus. Ex affinitate L. fraseri et taxorum affinium differt statura breviore; habitu compactiore, surculis praecipue ascendentibus; foliis minoribus, arctius appressis; floribusque parum minoribus.