Shrub to 2 m high; bark on smaller stems smooth, shedding in stringy strips. Young stems with a broad flange near base of petiole. Leaves narrowly ovate, 5–13 mm long, 1–3.5 mm wide, broadest near the base, glabrous; apex subulate, incurved, pungent; margins incurved (rarely flat), minutely denticulate. Flowers 8–12 mm diam.; hypanthium c. 2–2.5 mm long, glabrous; pedicel to 1 mm long; sepals narrowly triangular to triangular, c. 1.5 mm long, glabrous on outer surface, deciduous; petals 3–5 mm long, usually white; ovary 5-locular, apex glabrous. Fruit persistent, broadly hemispherical, 5–8 mm diam., surface ultimately shedding in papery flakes and becoming rough, valves woody; seeds 2–3 mm long, with a linear-striate surface pattern. Flowers Sep.–Feb.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, VAlp. Also SA, NSW, ACT. Apart from the mallee and alps, widespread in heath-lands and woodlands, usually on well-drained sandy soils, but also on swamp and stream margins.
