It is woody, evergreen and rather dense shrub that is erect in posture that grows to between Шаблон:Convert high. It forms a single stem at the base, from where numerous thin and erect branches grow. The aromatic leaves are like needles and are 4 to 5 times longer (8-10 mm) than they are wide (0.8 mm). The petiole is 1 mm long. The dwarf variety 'Dwarf Pink' grows between Шаблон:Convert.
The flowers are solitary, terminal in short axillary twigs or in small twigs, often dense towards the top of the branches. They are pink, often white, and star-shaped (7 to 8 mm in diameter), with 5 oval petals, 5.0-5.7 mm long, each marked with a distinctive central vein. The entire shrub will be covered in pink flowers from May to October, attracting bees, butterflies and other insects. The fruit is made up of a 5-chamber capsule, dotted with glands. There is a shiny black seed in each chamber.[1]
Taxonomy
The species was formally described in 1981 in the Journal of South African Botany.[3] Prior to this, plants in cultivation had been erroneously identified as Coleonema pulchrum.[2]
The species is naturalised in Victoria, Australia.[3]
Cultivars
'Compactum' ('Nanum') — dwarf pink flowering form growing to 1m
'Rubrum' ('Red Form') — red flowering form
'Sunset Gold' — dwarf form with golden foliage to 75 cm high [2]
