Acanthocarpus preissii Lehm.

Stems to 70 cm long, sometimes longer; branches ascending or divaricate. Leaves of branches: lamina spreading, 1–3 cm long, pungent, grey-green, sometimes dark green; margins smooth or finely scabrid; veins 7–12, ± flattened; grooves narrow, scabrid; auricles not or shortly produced; scarious sheath margins lacerating; lamina of primary-stem leaves usually 2–7 cm long. Flowers terminal; pedicels 1 mm long. Sepals and petals 3–4 mm long, white with fine purple-brown midrib. Stamens c. 1.5 mm long. Pistil 1.5 mm long, thick. Capsule 5–8 mm long, muricate; tubercles flattened to terete, uncinate, up to 1.5 mm long. Seed 4–5 mm diam., slightly rugose.

Usually grows on coastal dunes, sometimes in limestone or sandstone, in shrubland.