Pimelea cryptica C.J.Burrows & Enright

A sparsely to much-branched, appressed to decumbent, or suberect shrub up to 25 cm high but often lower. Branching mainly sympodial, young stems light brown, moderately densely clad in short, appressed grey–white hairs. Internodes 1–1.3 mm long. Node buttresses lunate, smooth, brown, 0.2 mm, moderately prominent on leafless stems; older stems medium brown to grey. Leaves decussate, ascendant, soon becoming patent, sometimes deflexed, on short (0.2 mm), often reddish petioles. Lamina medium glaucous–green, narrow elliptic to narrow–ovate, sometimes obovate (6–10 × 2–2.5 mm), flat to slightly keeled, margin upturned, mid-vein evident; tip acute but with blunt point; base cuneate; abaxial surface with very few hairs near tip, older leaves usually glabrous; stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, 4–8-flowered. Involucral bracts 4, the same size as ordinary leaves or slightly broader (6 × 3 mm). Receptacles with relatively sparse, short hairs. Plants gynodioecious. Flowers white, on short (0.3 mm) pedicels, moderately hairy outside; inside hairless. ♀ tube 2.2 mm long, ovary portion 2 mm, calyx lobes 1.5 × 0.6 mm. ♀ tube 5 mm long, ovary portion 1.5 mm, calyx lobes 2.2 × 1.5 mm. Anther dehiscence introrse. Ovary with cluster of long hairs at summit. Fruits broad-ovoid, fleshy, pink 7 × 4.5 mm. Seeds ovoid 3.2 × 1.7 mm (Figs. 25, 26). Flowering spring–summer–autumn.

[Reproduced from Burrows (2011, New Zealand J. Bot. 49: 41–106) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]