Perennial, acaulescent herb or compact subshrub, up to 25 cm tall with very short internodes. Leaves sessile, petiole-like base with spines 1-3 mm long; lamina oblanceolate, 45-70(-100) x (6-)8-10(-12) mm, often grey to grey-green due to densely packed long, strigose hairs, also with subsessile glands; apex acute, base attenuate, margin undulate, coarsely dentate-spinose, spines fine to rigid, 1-3(-6) mm long, yellow to orange-brown. Inflorescences lax (bract lamina overlap <30%), cylindrical, subsessile with a few infertile bracts at the base, (50-)70-140(-250) mm long, (5-)7-9 mm in diameter. Bracts oblong to obovate, 18-20(-23) mm long (including spines), lamina 9-11(-14) mm long, base obtuse; hirsute with deflexed to appressed short hairs, also with isolated, subsessile glandular hairs abaxially, silky-hairy adaxially; middle and upper bracts usually truncate, ending in 5 primary spines; central primary spine usually simple, rarely with 1 pair of short marginal secondary spines; lateral primary spines usually simple; spines spreading (usually 90°) in fruit. Bracteoles linear, (6-)8-9 mm long, pubescent with short, deflexed to spreading hairs and short glandular hairs. Calyx with dorsal sepal ovate, apiculate to acuminate, 13-14 mm long, hirsute to pubescent with short, deflexed to spreading hairs and short glandular hairs abaxially, silky-hairy adaxially, 7-9-veined; ventral sepal ovate, 11-13 mm long, hirsute to pubescent with short, deflexed to spreading hairs and short glandular hairs abaxially, silky-hairy adaxially, 5-7-veined; lateral sepals 7-9 mm long, pubescent with short hairs, also with long, silky hairs along margin. Flowers clearly decussate; corolla cream or lilac with darker veins, cream throat, 27-29 x 9(-10) mm, tube 10 mm long, pubescent especially on outside, central lobe wider than long or equal, constricted at the base, truncate to emarginate. Filaments 7-8 mm long, glandular; anthers orange-brown, 2-3 mm long. Style with basal part densely covered with glandular hairs. Capsules 7 x 3(-4) mm. Seeds 4 x 3 mm.
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