Compilation
Sphaerothylax abyssinica

Herb with thalloid base, irregularly lobed, to 4.5 cm wide, dark translucent olive green or blood-red; stem ± unbranched to much branched, green, to 30 cm long, at intervals bearing leaves or contracted side-branches which bear leaves and clusters of flowers. Leaves elongate, 2–3-divided, narrowly linear, 2–15 cm long, segments 0.3–1.3 mm wide, sometimes deciduous at time of flowering. Flowers both solitary on thallus and in glomerules on the contracted side-branches, or in up to 10 mm long rows of groups of flowers along the main stem; spathella sessile, ellipsoid, 2.1–3 mm long, 1.3–1.9 mm in diameter, subtended by subulate bracts to 0.8 mm long; pedicel pink to red, lengthening to 1.5–5 mm, slightly winged; tepals at base of ovary, subulate, 0.2–0.5 mm long; stamen with filament 0.5–1.7 mm long, anthers 2, 2-locular, pale green or greenish yellow, 0.5–0.9 mm long, one set slightly higher than the others and slightly diverging; ovary brown-red or red, obovoid or ellipsoid, 1–1.5 mm long, 0.7–1.2 mm in diameter, sessile or stalked for up to 0.2 mm; stigmas red, filiform, 0.3–0.6 mm long. Capsule ellipsoid, 1.2 mm long, 0.9 mm in diameter, 8-ribbed. Fig. 3 (page 8).