Perennial, compact subshrub, 10-12 cm tall with very short internodes. Leaves sessile, base attenuate, petiole-like, with spines 2-5 mm long, conspicuous tufts of long, silky hairs in axils; lamina oblanceolate, (35-)40-55(-65) x 8-10(-12) mm, puberulent to hirsute with spreading short hairs also with subsessile and short glandular hairs; margin undulate, coarsely dentate-spinose, spines rigid, 3-5 mm long, yellow. Inflorescences sessile, dense to semi-dense, cylindrical, (35-)45-60(-90) mm long, (10-)12-14 mm in diameter. Bracts broadly obovate to wedge-shaped, 20-23(-27) mm long (including spines), lamina 12-16 mm long, base attenuate; lower bracts ending in 5(-7) primary spines; middle and upper bracts ending in 5 broad (winged) primary spines, central and lateral primary spines usually compound, with short marginal secondary spines; primary spines spreading to recurved in fruit; spines and lamina covered in glandular hairs, also with spreading short hairs abaxially and adaxially. Bracteoles linear, 8-11 mm long, silky hairy, also with glandular hairs. Calyx with dorsal sepal ovate, acuminate, 13-14 mm long, silky hairy, 5-7-veined; ventral sepal ovate, 10-13 mm long, silky hairy, 5-7-veined; lateral sepals 8-9 mm long, silky hairy, also with glandular hairs, often 3-veined from the base. Flowers purple with lemon-yellow throat; corolla 24-26(-29) x 9-10 mm, tube 8-9 mm long, central lobe wider than long, constricted at base, emarginate. Stamens with beige to orange-brown anthers, 2-3 mm long; filaments 6 mm long, glandular. Style with patch of glandular hairs at the base. Capsules 7-8 x 3 mm. Seeds 4 x 3 mm.
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