Perennial, compact subshrub, 15 cm tall with very short internodes. Leaves sessile, decurrent, base petiole-like with spines 3-6 mm long; lamina oblanceolate, (25-)35-50(-70) x 8-10(-12) mm, grey with appressed, densely packed short hairs; apex acute, base attenuate, margin undulate, dentate-spinose to coarsely dentate-spinose, spines rigid, 4-7(-8) mm long, yellow to dark brown. Inflorescences semi-dense, cylindrical, subsessile, ca. 35-45 mm long, 8-10(-12) mm in diameter. Bracts obovate to wedge-shaped, 11-13 mm long (including spines), lamina 5-8 mm long; spines and lamina pubescent to hirsute with deflexed to spreading short hairs, lamina often with isolated long white hairs abaxially, silky-hairy adaxially; lower bracts ending in 5 primary spines; middle and upper bracts ending in (3-)5 primary spines, upper bracts very often 3-fid; central primary spine usually simple or with short marginal secondary spines; lateral primary spines usually with long basal secondary spine on side facing central primary spine, often longer than primary spines; spines spreading to recurved in fruit;. Bracteoles linear, 4-5(-6) mm long, silky-hairy. Calyx with dorsal sepal ovate, acuminate, 11-12 mm long, silky-hairy especially abaxially, 7-9-veined; ventral sepal ovate, 9-11 mm long, silky-hairy especially abaxially, 5-7-veined; lateral sepals 9 mm long, silky-hairy. Corolla lilac to purple with lemon-yellow throat, 25 x 10 mm, tube 9 mm long, central lobe wider than long, constricted at base, emarginate. Filaments 6 mm long, glandular; anthers beige to orange-brown, 3 mm long. Style with patch of glandular hairs at the base. Capsules 8 x 3-4 mm. Seed 5 x 3 mm.
Home