Citation: Orch., Bull. Auckland Inst. Mus. 10:132 (1975).

Synonymy: H. mucronata (Nees)Benth. var. trachycarpa J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 431 (1926); H. mucronata sensu Benth., Fl. Aust. 2:475 (1864), partly, and other authors, auct. non (Nees)Benth. (1864); H. digyna sensu F. Muell., Key Syst. Vict. Plant. 1:262 (1888), and other authors, Vic. & S. Aust. plants, auct. non Labill. (1805).

Common name: None

Description:
Perennial herb 30-60 cm tall; rootstock a tap root; stems smooth or weakly 4-fibbed, glabrous; leaves opposite or subopposite at the base, alternate above, sessile, linear to terete, 20-45 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, submucronate, entire or very weakly tubercular-toothed, glabrous or very sparsely scabrous with thick curved 1- or 2-celled hairs to 1 mm long.

Inflorescence composed of 5-7-flowered dichasia; lateral inflorescences in the axils of the upper leaves; bracts green, linear-lanceolate, 4.5-6 mm long, mucronate, glabrous or scabrous; bracteoles brown, lanceolate, 0.5-0.8 mm long; flowers 4-merous, on pedicels to 0.2 mm long; sepals narrow-deltoid, 0.6-0.9 mm long; petals red, 2-2.7 mm long; stamens 8; anthers oblong, 1.3-1.5 mm long; styles 4, c. 0.3 mm long; ovary ovoid to hemispherical, 0.3-0.5 mm long, 8-ribbed/angled, 4-locular.

Fruits 3-7 per axil, sessile or on pedicels to 0.2-0.5 mm long, green to red-purple, ovoid, globose or almost pear-shaped with the narrow end distally, 1.2-1.5 mm long, 1-1.4 mm wide, 8-ribbed, the ribs between the sepals sometimes developed into oblong or deltoid wings, glabrous; 4-locular.

Published illustration: Orchard (1975) Bull. Auckland Inst. Mus. 10:133-4.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: SL, SE.   Vic.; Tas. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Dec. — Feb.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available