Phylica ericoides is a much-branched, compact shrub to 600mm. Branches slender, sparsely covered with short, fine, grey hairs. Leaves lanceolate to linear, obtuse or nearly acute, and rounded or heart-shaped at the base, 5-8 mm long, alternate, simple with a short petiole, rolled margins, hairless above margin and midrib sparsely hairy when young, underside.with short, fine grey hairs.
The flowers are very small, 1.5-2 mm long, tightly packed into 4-7 mm wide rounded heads (capitula) which are clustered or solitary at the tips of the branches. Flowers are produced at any time of the year, ad have a strong honey scent.
The fruit is a 4 mm long, obovate, hairless purple-brown capsule which splits explosively to release smooth seeds with a basal aril, and are dispersed and buried by ants.
Phylica ericoides has five varieties:
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