a shrub 4–5 ft. high, erect, branched; branches ascending, terete, shortly pubescent or glabrous; leaves dimorphic; the lower up to 4 in. long, bipinnately divided in the upper 2/3, with the ultimate segments 3/4–1 3/4 in. long, 2–3 1/2 lin. broad, rounded at the apex, coriaceous, glabrous, margins incurved; the upper erect, entire, 1 1/2–2 1/2 in. long, cuneate-obovate or oblanceolate, with an obtuse callous apex, gradually narrowed to the petiolar base, rigidly coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, often distinctly nerved, margins not or scarcely cartilaginous; heads 4-flowered, spicate; spikes terminal, solitary, subsessile or shortly pedunculate, 1 1/2–2 1/2 in. long, about 1 in. in diam., subcylindric; flowering axis tomentose; bract subtending each partial head about 3 lin. long, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, subacute, tomentose outside; floral bracts 4, 2–2 1/2 lin. long, about 1 1/2 lin. broad, more or less oblong, rounded at the apex, coriaceous, glabrous within, tomentose outside; flowers surrounded at the base by numerous long hairs; perianth-tube 1–1 1/2 lin. long, glabrous towards the base; segments 1/2 in. long; claws shortly tomentose outside; limb 1 1/3 lin. long, linear, subobtuse, tomentose outside; anthers 1 lin. long, linear; hypogynous scales 1 lin. long, linear, acute; ovary pubescent; style rather slender, 6–7 1/2 lin. long, glabrous, gradually narrowed into the stigma which is 1 lin. long, subcylindric, obtuse; fruits 3 lin. long, ovoid, shortly beaked, ivory-white and shining, minutely pubescent and with a dense ring of long white hairs around the base. null
