2n = 16

2n = 16

A low rupestral dioecious subshrub with slender taproot and several stems, spreading in suitable habitats by a succession of suckers. Stems perennial, c. 1-2 mm diameter, up to 40 rarely 50 cm long, almost or quite glabrous and inconspicuously grooved. Underground part of suckers 4-20 (-40) cm long with (2-) 8 (-14) pairs of much reduced leaves (internodes (1-) 7-30 (-60) mm long); usually rooting and branching at some nodes. Aerial stems erect to decumbent, very short (4-10 cm) but longer in shade, internodes 1-20 (-40) mm long; usually sparingly branched. Underground leaves 1-5 mm long, entire to minutely lobed. Green leaves ± crowded, subcoriaceous to coriaceous, almost glabrous, up to 3 rarely 4 cm long, living c. 2 years before slowly decaying to base. Petioles (5-) 11 (-18) mm long, channelled, not twining. Laminae broad-ovate to angular-ovate in outline when fresh, variously dissected (with major segments ± ascending and overlapping) from multifid-multipartite to deeply 3-lobed to 3-foliolate; lobes or leaflets deeply incised 2-3 times (to bipinnate below in leaflets), segments concave adaxially and ± bordered, ultimately small, obtuse to subacute; lateral leaflets short petioluled, oblique at base. Subfloral leaves (3-) 7-16 (-21) mm long. Inflorescence a solitary flower, axillary, ± fulvouspubescent; peduncles (2.5-) 4.5 (-7.5) cm long; bracts 1-2 pairs -lower pair (often lacking) basal, connate, blade c. 2 mm long, minutely 3-lobed - upper pair (2-) 4.2 (-7.7) mm long, narrow-oblong to spathulate, entire or shallowly lobed. Male flower 2-3 cm diameter; sepals 5-8, white (slightly green-stained when young), thinly fulvous-silky without, glabrous within, (6-) 12 (-18) × (3-) 6 (-10.5) mm, obovate (occasionally elliptic); stamens 20-50, 5-9 mm long, anthers 1-1.8 mm long, ovate-oblong, connective produced into minute blunt apiculus; carpels 0. Female flower with slightly smaller sepals; stamens 8-13, anthers barren; carpels 20-50. Achene seed body ovoid, 3-4 mm long, puberulent, brown; style 1.5-3 cm long, pale fulvous-plumose.

Suffrutex humilis, rupestralis, surculis auctus, dioecius. Caules graciles, paene vel omnino glabri, obscure sulcati; pars caulis subterranea (2-) 8 (-14) paribus foliorum multo reductorum instructa, plerumque ad nonnullos nodos radicantes et ramificantes; caules aerii erecti vel decumbentes, perbreves (4-10 cm) nisi in umbrosis locis, plerumque parce ramificantes. Folia ± conferta, coriacea, paene glabra, ad 3 (-4) cm longa. Petioli c. 1 cm longi, non volubiles. Laminae plerumque profunde 3-lobatae ad 3-foliolatae; lobi foliolaque duplo vel triplo profunde incisa, segmenta concava in pagina adaxiali, ad finem parva, obtusa vel subacuta; petioluli foliorum lateralium breves, ad basim obliqui. Inflorescentia axillaris 1-ftoris; pedunculus c. 5 cm longus; bracteae 1-2 geminae, parvae. Flores masculi 2-3 cm diametro; sepala 5-8 alba, extra sericea intra glabra, 6-18 mm longa plerumque obovata; stamina oo, 5—9 mm longa, antherae c. 1.5 mm longae, ovatooblongae, obtuse apiculatae; carpella 0. Flores feminei minores; staminodia 8-13; carpella oo- Achenii corpus seminale ovoideum, 3-4 mm longum; stylus 1.5-3 cm longus, plumosus.

Small suckering evergreen woody subshrub. Lvs ± glabrous, multifid-multipartite to deeply 3-lobed to 3-foliolate, (1)-1.5-3 × 1-3 cm; leaflets thick, quite stiff, deeply incised 2-3 times; segments concave adaxially, obtuse to subacute, oblique at base; petiole 0.7-1 cm long. Fls unisexual, solitary in lf axils. Bracts in 1-2 pairs; upper pair usually inserted below middle of peduncle. ♂ fls: sepals (5)-6-(8), imbricate, white (slightly green-tinged when young), glabrous above, hairy beneath, obovate-elliptic, (6)-10-14-(18) × (3)-4-6-(10.5) mm; anthers 1-1.8 mm long; filaments glabrous. ♀ fls: sepals similar to ♂, c. 8 × 6 mm; staminodes few. Achenes pubescent, 3-4 mm long. Style 1.5-3 cm long at fruiting.