Acanthopsis disperma Nees

Spiny, acaulescent herb up to 100 mm tall. Leaves tufted, arranged in a rosette, obovate to broadly lanceolate (30-)40-60(-150) x 10-20 mm; cotyledons in seedlings reniform (strikingly different from ordinary leaves); leaf margin flat or undulate, spinose, spines fine, up to 2(3) mm long; with appressed, strigose or spreading hairs; apex rounded to acute; base attenuate; petiole 3-10 mm long, usually without prominent tufts of long, silky hairs at the base. Inflorescences 1-5 per plant, 20-60(-100) mm long, (12-)13-15(-20) mm in diameter, persisting after plant has died. Bracts fan-shaped, 15-20 mm long, base 4-5 mm long; middle and upper bracts ending in 5 primary spines, central primary spine always compound (with 2 or 3 pairs of marginal secondary spines), lateral primary spines with 1 or 2 basal and 3-5 marginal secondary spines; spine tips often tinged purple-brown; primary spines usually recurved and secondary spines spreading in fruit; bract base hirsute to pubescent with deflexed to spreading short hairs and some scattered long hairs, with ring of long, silky hairs adaxially at base of spines; spines almost glabrous with margin of rigid, long hairs and sessile/sub-sessile glands, or pubescent to villose (long, silky hairs interspersed with deflexed short hairs and sessile/sub-sessile glands). Bracteoles sickle-shaped, 7-9 mm long, silky hairy. Calyx tips often almost glabrous, with long silky hairs towards base; dorsal sepal ovate, cuspidate, (10-)11(-14) mm long, densely silky hairy, especially adaxially, 7-9-veined from base; ventral sepal ovate, 9-11 mm long, densely silky hairy, especially adaxially, 5-7-veined from base; lateral sepals 7-8 mm long, densely silky hairy on both sides. Flowers blue-purple with white throat; corolla 19-22(-28) x 7-9(-12) mm, tube (5-)6-9(-11) mm long; central lobe longer than wide or equal, slightly constricted at base, truncate to emarginate. Stamens with purple-black anthers, 2 mm long, filaments 4-5 mm long, sparsely glandular, hairy towards base. Style with patch or ring of glandular hairs at base. Capsules ovate in face view, flattened, glabrous, shiny, 5-7 x 3-4 mm, 2-seeded. Seeds (3-)5 x 3 mm, covered with long white hygroscopic hairs.