Bertya calycina  |  

Bertya calycina, Family Euphorbiaceae, is a branched shrub growing up to 4 m high. Branchlets are angular becoming circular with age and covered by white stellate hairs. Leaves are linear, 2–4.2 cm long, 1.2–3 mm wide, leaf margins are recurved, upper surface green with sparse stellate hairs when young, lower surface white and densely covered by stalkless stellate hairs. Plants are monecious with separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Male flowers are stalkless and covered with a sticky, thick, syrupy secretion. Five sepal lobes are light green with a reddish blush to the ends, 3 mm long, 4–5 mm wide, with 56–69 stamen. Female flowers are on stalks 2.5–3 mm long, pale yellowish-red sepals with five lobes, petals absent or rudimentary and ovary covered in dense stellate hairs. Flowering time has been recorded from August to November. Capsules are narrowly-elliptic, 1 cm long, 5–6 mm wide, covered in dense stellate hairs, usually containing one seed and the sepal lobes are persistent. Seeds are oblong, up to 7.5 mm long, 4 mm wide, dark brown with a cream-white outgrowth.