n = 21

Stems purplish black when young, prostrate to ascending, rooting at nodes, glabrous or with very sparse bifarious hairs. Leaves obovate to oblanceolate, widest about or above the middle, shallowly toothed, obtuse to broadly subacute at apex, green beneath, (0.5)-0.8-2 × (0.3)-0.6-1 cm. Inflorescences many-flowered, (7)-10-15—(20) cm long; peduncle stout, (5)-6-10 cm, peduncle, rachis and pedicels glabrous or sometimes uniformly glandular- hairy. Bracts and calyx glabrous or sparsely glandular-ciliate. Corolla with pale mauve ring at throat, anterior lobe <2 mm wide. Capsule black or dark purplish brown, 2.5-3.5 × 2.5-3.5 mm.

Subspecies ab his characteribus distinguenda: Culmi prostrati vel adscendentes, juvenes atro-purpurei, glabri vel parce villosi. Folia obovata vel oblanceolata, apice obtusa vel late subacuta. Pedunculus, rachis pedicellique glabri vel glanduloso-villosi. Corollae faux pallidemalvaceo annulo circumdata, lobus anticus quam 2 mm angustior.

Subshrub, 10–20(–25) cm tall. Old stems grey. Branches prostrate to decumbent (young roots emerging early as small knobs at nodes). Branchlets red-brown to purplish (dark). Vegetative internodes 5–20(–40) mm long. Stem pubescence bifarious or absent, eglandular pubescent. Leaves subdistichous, spreading to recurved. Lamina oblanceolate to obovate to elliptic, (5–)10–20(–35) × (2–)4–10(–15) mm. Adaxial surface of leaves green, dull. Abaxial surface of leaves pale green, dull. Leaf hairs dense, along midrib above and on petiole (adaxially only), uniseriate eglandular. Apex subacute or obtuse or rounded. Base cuneate. Margin glabrous, serrate. Marginal teeth or lobes in (1–) 3–5 pairs. Petiole 1–4 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, unbranched, (7–)12–21 cm long at fruiting, with (6–)10–20(–30) flowers. Indumentum of peduncle, rachis, and pedicels absent to moderately dense. Peduncle (3.5–)7–10 cm long, glabrous or eglandular-pubescent (rarely) or glandular-pubescent; hairs all around peduncle. Rachis (3.5–)5– 11 cm long, glabrous or eglandular-pubescent (rarely) or glandular-pubescent, hairs all around rachis. Bracts alternate (spiralled), obtuse to acute (with obvious hydathode), glandular ciliate or glabrous, linear to lanceolate. Bract margins entire. Pedicels erecto-patent at anthesis, incurved at fruiting, (6–)8–14(–17) mm long, glabrous or glandularpubescent or eglandular-pubescent (rarely); hairs all around pedicel. Flowers: Calyx 4-lobed (small 5th lobe rarely present), (2.5–)3.5–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes lanceolate or elliptic or oblanceolate, acuminate to subacute. Calyx hairs absent (calyx glabrous) or on margins only, glandular. Calyx lobe margins entire. Corolla white at anthesis or mauve at anthesis (pale). Nectar guides evident or obscure, confined to posterior corolla lobe. Colour ring and nectar guides magenta or pink. Corolla throat yellow. Corolla (7–)11–13 mm diam. Corolla tube 1–1.5 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, hairy inside, hairs short. Corolla lobes glabrous. Posterior corolla lobe circular, obtuse, (4–)4.5–6 × (4.5–)5–6.5 mm. Lateral corolla lobes elliptic, obtuse, longitudinally folded around stamens, (4.5–)5–6 × (4.5–)5– 6.5 mm. Anterior corolla lobe oblong (narrowly), subacute to obtuse, (3–)4–5.5 × (1.3–)1.5–2(–2.2) mm. Stamen filaments white, 3.5–4 mm long, narrowed at base. Anthers pink or mauve, 1–1.1 mm long. Nectarial disc ciliolate (sparsely) or glabrous. Ovary globose, subacute, glabrous, 1–1.3 mm long. Style (3–)3.5–5 mm long. Stigma 0.15–0.2 mm wide. Capsules xerochastic, broadly angustiseptate (i.e., weakly flattened), emarginate to didymous, (3– )3.5–4(–4.3) × 3–4 mm, 1.5–1.7 mm thick, glabrous. Septicidal split of capsule extending 3⁄4 way to base or to base. Loculicidal split of capsule extending 1⁄4– 1⁄2 way to base. Seeds approx. 20–30 per locule, strongly flattened, smooth-surfaced, ellipsoid or discoid, pale brown to dark brown, 0.7–0.9(–1.2) × 0.5– 0.8(–1) mm.