2n = 40

Shrub, often rounded or spreading, to 0.5 m tall. Branches ascending to erect; old stems brown; youngest branchlets green; internodes (2-)4-8 mm long, bifariously eglandular-pubescent; leaf decurrencies evident; leaf-base scars prominent. Leaf bud about as long as mature leaves, with leaves of a pair separating when mature; sinus narrow, acute. Leaves decussate, free at base, erecto-patent to patent; lamina oblong to elliptic, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, m-shaped in transverse section, ( 12-) 15-30(-38) × (5-)6- 1 1 mm; apex subacute and mucronate; base cuneate; midrib thickened beneath and depressed to grooved above; secondary veins not evident; margin entire, translucent, bevelled or rounded, minutely papillate or denticulate; adaxial surface green or yellowish green, dull, with many stomata, hairy along midrib; abaxial surface pale green, dull, densely covered with stomata, glabrous. Petiole 3-4 mm long, uniformly eglandular-pubes- cent. Inflorescences with 15-20(-25) flowers, lateral, racemose, simple or with (1-)2 branches at base, (2-)4-5 cm long, about = or > subtending leaves, flowers opening in acropetal sequence, usually all developing to maturity; peducle 0.8-1 cm long, eglandular-pubescent; rachis 1. 5 4 cm long, eglandular pubescent; bracts opposite and decussate at least below, sometimes becoming alternate above, subacute to acute, eglandular-ciliolate, linear to lan- ceolate; pedicels < bracts, eglandular-pubescent, erecto-patent at flowering and fruiting, (0.5-) 1.5-3(- 5) mm long. Flowers protandrous, all hermaphrodite. Calyx rounded at base, terete, 4-lobed, equally di- vided, 2.5-3.5 mm long; lobes all similar, lanceolate to elliptic, obtuse, eglandular-ciliolate; margins scarious. Corolla white at anthesis and after polli- nation; tube glabrous, 1-2 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, cylindric, > calyx; lobes glabrous, > tube; posterior lobe circular to elliptic, obtuse, erecto-patent; lateral lobes elliptic or ovate, obtuse, erecto-patent, cuneate at base; anterior lobe ovate, obtuse, patent to recurved, not enfolding style; corolla throat white. Stamens: filaments white, diverging after anthesis, straight at apex in bud, (4-)5-6 mm long; anthers subacute to acute, white, c. 1.5 mm long. Nectarial disc glabrous. Ovary ovoid, glabrous, 1.7-2 mm long, bilocular; ovules 20-25 per locule, marginal in 1-2 layers on a flattened placenta; style 5-7 mm long, c. 0.2 mm thick (when dry), glabrous, white; stigma capitate, 0.3-0.4 mm wide. Capsules latiseptate, acute, dark brown, 3-4 × 2.5-3.5 mm, 1.5-2.5 mm thick, glabrous; septicidal split extend- ing to base, loculicidal split extending ¼-way to 1/3- way to base; capsule valves with pronounced midrib. Seeds 6- 10 (or more) per locule, flattened, ellipsoid, not winged, smooth, straw yellow to pale brown, 0.6-1 × 0.5-0.8 mm.

Hebes cockayneanae et H. rupicolae similis, sinu angusto, cicatricibus in caulibus prominentibus, capsulis brevibus latis; a H. cockayneana pubescentia caulis breviore, foliis grandioribus viridibus concoloris, stomatibus utrinque manifestis, marginibus minute eglandulato-ciliolatis, floribus plerumque oppositis, calyce eglandulato-ciliolatis, seminibus parvioribus differt; a H. rupicola cicatricibus in caulibus prominentioribus, foliis utrinque viridibus, inflorescentiis hirsutioribus, calyce eglandulato-ciliolatis, lobis corollae obtusatis, capsulis latioribus pallidioribus, seminibus parvioribus differt.