Lion’s Tail

Description:
A perennial but not very woody shrub 0.5 to 2m high with finely furry grooved stems. Leaves are in opposite pairs, sparsely hairy, the same colour above and below, with toothed margins and a bluntly pointed tip, 5-8cm long. Flowers are orange, furry and tubular, about 2-5cm long, enclosed at the base by a sheath-like tubular green calyx. They are born in dense clusters in the leaf axils, each flower on only a very short stalk. The seeds are released from papery capsules, which persist on the plant for a long time. They can be seen in clusters spaced at intervals along the old dead stems.
Dispersal:
Dumping of plants carrying seed, seed quite fine and may be spread in strong winds.