Perennial subshrub, 15-20 cm tall. Leaves sessile; lamina oblanceolate, (40-)55-70(-80) x (5-)7-8(-10) mm, glaucous with appressed, densely packed short hairs; base attenuate; margin undulate, coarsely dentate-spinose, spines rigid, (2-)3-5(-7) mm long, yellowish brown or maroon; apex acute to cuspidate. Inflorescences pedunculate, cylindrical to slightly turbinate in fruit, (35-)50-75(-90) mm long (excluding peduncle), 8-10 mm in diameter; peduncle usually 15-30(-50) mm long, with 2 or 3 pairs of peduncular bracts, pubescent with deflexed short, white hairs. Bracts oblong to obovate, coriaceous, (22-)25-35 mm long, lamina 12-18 mm long; lower bracts ending in 3(-5) primary spines, central primary spine always simple and recurved, usually more than twice the length (up to 30 mm) of lateral spines; middle to upper bracts oblong, nearly always with 3 primary spines (when 5, then outer spines very reduced), central primary spines nearly always simple, 5 primary veins very often converging into 3 attenuate spines, central primary spine nearly always with excurrent tip, twice as long (up to 20 mm) as lateral spines, spreading; spines and venation often maroonish, puberulent to hirsute with deflexed or spreading, short hairs, often with long, silky hairs abaxially towards the base and short glandular hairs adaxially. Bracteoles linear, 5 mm long, silky-hairy. Calyx with dorsal sepal ovate, acuminate, 11-13 mm long, silky-hairy, 5-7-veined from the base; ventral sepal ovate, 10-11 mm long, silky-hairy, 5-7-veined from the base; lateral sepals lanceolate, ending in spinous tip, broader at the base, 8-9 mm long, silky-hairy. Corolla lilac to white with dark purple veins and lemon-yellow throat, 27-30 x 11-13 mm long, tube 9-10 mm long; central lobe usually wider than long, constricted at base, truncate. Filaments 7-8 mm long, glandular; anthers orange-brown, 3 mm long. Style with patch of glandular hairs at base. Capsules ovate, flattened, glabrous, shiny, 7 x 3-4 mm Seeds ovate, 4 x 2 mm, covered with long white hygroscopic hairs.
Home