Shrub, to 0.7 m tall (Fig. 7G). Branches erect, or ascending; old stems black, or grey (producing thick cork with age); youngest branchlets green to brown; internodes 2–5(–8) mm long; leaf decurrencies evident and extended for length of internode; leaf-base scars prominent; stem pubescence bifarious to uniform, with a mixture of glandular and eglandular hairs. Leaf bud about as long as mature leaves with leaves of a pair separating when mature; sinus narrow and acute to broad and acute (Fig. 7H). Leaves decussate to subdistichous, erecto-patent to patent; lamina linear-elliptic or elliptic to oblanceolate (narrowly), subcoriaceous, m-shaped in transverse section (Fig. 6), (14–)20– 44(–55) mm long, (4–)6–11(–16) mm wide; apex plicate and subacute or acute or subapiculate; base cuneate; evident venation in fresh leaves usually consisting of midrib only; midrib thickened beneath and strongly depressed to grooved above; margin cartilaginous and thickened, rounded, minutely papillate; upper surface green to dark green, glossy (Fig. 7I), without evident stomata, hairy along midrib; lower surface glaucous, dull (Fig. 7I), densely covered with stomata, glabrous. Petiole 2– 4(–5) mm long, hairy above. Juvenile and reversion leaves incised. Inflorescences with (7–)15–30(–40) flowers, lateral, racemose and compound with (1–)2 branches at base (Fig. 9B), simple inflorescences rarely also present, (1.5–)2–3.5(–4.6) cm long, ranging from shorter than to about equal to subtending leaves, flowers opening in acropetal or basipetal sequence; peduncle (0.5–)0.8–1.5(–2.5) cm long, pubescent with a mixture of eglandular and glandular hairs; rachis 1–1.8(–2.5) cm long, pubescent with a mixture of eglandular and glandular hairs; bracts usually opposite and decussate below, becoming alternate above, free, acute to acuminate or rarely obtuse, sparsely ciliolate with both glandular and eglandular hairs, lanceolate to linear or rarely ovate; pedicels equal to or shorter than bracts, pubescent with both eglandular and glandular hairs, erecto-patent at anthesis, erecto-patent to recurved at fruiting, (0.5–)1–3(–5) mm long. Flowers protandrous, those on individual plants all hermaphrodite. Calyx rounded at base, 2.3–3.5 mm long, 4-lobed, equally divided or rarely with anterior lobes united to 2⁄3 of the way to apex (seen on one specimen only); lobes lanceolate (usually) to ovate or elliptic, acute (usually) to obtuse, eglandular ciliolate or with mixed glandular and eglandular cilia, margins membranous. Corolla pale mauve at anthesis, white after pollination; tube glabrous, 3– 4 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, expanded in lower half and contracted at base, longer than calyx (Fig. 10B); lobes equalling or shorter than corolla tube, glabrous; posterior lobe elliptic to lanceolate, subacute, suberect, with margin and apex turned upwards; lateral lobes elliptic, subacute, suberect, cuneate at base, with margin and apex turned upwards; anterior lobe elliptic to oblong, subacute, suberect, with margin and apex turned upwards or with margin and apex flat, sometimes enfolding style; corolla throat white. Stamen filaments white, remaining erect or diverging after anthesis, straight at apex in bud, 3– 4(–4.5) mm long; anthers apiculate, pale mauve or violet or white, 1.6–1.8(–2.2) mm long. Nectarial disc glabrous. Ovary ovoid, glabrous, 1–1.5 mm long; ovules 6–14 per locule, marginal in one layer on a flattened placenta; style 5–7.5 mm long, c. 0.2 mm thick, glabrous, white or mauve (pale, at anthesis); stigma capitate (narrowly), yellow at anthesis, 0.2–0.3 mm wide. Capsules latiseptate, acute, pale to dark brown, 3.2–4.5 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, glabrous, loculicidal split extending ½–¾ of the way to base. Seeds 6–10 per locule, flattened, ellipsoid, not winged, smooth, pale brown, 1.2 mm long, 0.9 mm wide.

H. rigidula et H. colensoi similis sed a primo gemmis tetragonis valde, pedicellis (0.5–)1.5– 3.0(–5.0) mm longis, foliis (17–)20–35(–43) mm longis et (4–)5–9(–11.3) mm latis differt; a H. colensoi non glaucifoliis plerumque, tubo corollae calycem superantibus et pilis in ramulis et marginibus calycum dispositum differt.

2n = 40

2n = 40

2n = 40