Perennial shrublet, 15-40 cm tall. Stems brown (maroon when young), ribbed, almost glabrous to hirsute with deflexed short, white hairs; internodes (10-)15-30 mm long. Leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, 25-45(-50) x 7-10(-12) mm, appears glaucous with appressed, densely packed short hairs; margin undulate, coarsely dentate-spinose, spines rigid, 2-4 mm long, orange-brown; base attenuate, decurrent. Inflorescences cylindrical, clearly pedunculate, with 2 or 3 pairs of peduncular bracts; 30-55 mm long (excluding peduncle), 10-12 mm in diameter, peduncle (14-)20-40(-70) mm long, pubescent with short, spreading hairs. Bracts obovate to oblong, 18-24 mm long, base 10-13 mm long; lower bracts ending in 3(-5) primary spines, central primary spine always simple and recurved; middle to upper bracts oblong, 5 primary veins converging into 3 mucronate to spinose, ovate lobes with 2 outer lobes reduced, central primary spine always simple, spine tips often dark brown or maroon; peduncular bracts strigose with appressed, short hairs, lower fertile bracts strigose with appressed short hairs becoming more densely pubescent with long, glandular hairs towards the top of inflorescence. Bracteoles linear to sickle-shaped, unequal in length, 3-6 mm long; silky hairy, also with glandular hairs. Calyx with dorsal sepal oblong, acuminate, 10-11 mm long, silky hairy especially adaxially, also with short spreading and glandular hairs abaxially, 7-9-veined from base; ventral sepal ovate, 10-11 mm long, silky hairy especially adaxially, also with short spreading and glandular hairs abaxially, 5-7-veined from base; lateral sepals lanceolate, ending in spinous tip, broader at base, 8 mm long, silky hairy especially along margins, also with isolated glandular hairs. Flowers lilac to purple with lemon-yellow throat; corolla 23-25 x 8-10 mm, tube 7(-8) mm long, pubescent; central lobe usually longer than wide, constricted at base, truncate. Stamens with brown anthers, 3 mm long; filaments 5-6 mm long, glandular. Style with patch or ring of glandular hairs at base. Capsules narrowly ovate, flattened, glabrous, shiny, 7 x 2 mm, 2-seeded. Seeds 5 x 3 mm, covered with long white hygroscopic hairs.
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