Acanthopsis spathularis Schinz

Perennial shrublet, 30-40 cm tall. Stems (young) beige to brown, ribbed, hirsute with deflexed short, white hairs; internodes (6-)10-15 mm long. Leaves lanceolate, 20-25(-40) x 7(-8) mm, glaucous with appressed, densely packed short hairs; margin coarsely dentate-spinose, spines fine to rigid, 2-4(-6) mm long, orange-brown; base attenuate, decurrent with long spines (4-6 mm long). Inflorescences globose to cylindrical, subsessile to shortly pedunculate, with 1 (or 2) pairs of peduncular bracts; ca. 25-30(-35) mm long, (10-)13-15(-20) mm in diameter, peduncle (6-)10-15 mm long, hirsute to pubescent with deflexed to spreading short, white hairs. Bracts hemispherical to broadly wedge-shaped, (20-)30-40 mm long, base 8-12 mm long, ending in 5 primary spines; middle to upper bracts with spatulate central primary spine, usually simple or with 1 (or 2) marginal secondary spines; lateral primary spines simple, often slightly spatulate, occasionally with 1 basal secondary spine; primary spines of lower bracts widely spreading in flower and fruit; bract base and spines with deflexed to appressed short hairs and some scattered subsessile glandular hairs, bract base becoming villose in upper bracts. Bracteoles linear, 7-9 mm long, silky hairy especially towards tip. Calyx with dorsal sepal ovate to obovate, acuminate to cuspidate, 10(-11) mm long, silky hairy adaxially, silky hairy (villose) abaxially especially towards tip, 7-9-veined from base; ventral sepal ovate, 10(-11) mm long, silky hairy adaxially, silky hairy (villose) abaxially especially towards tip, 7-veined from base; lateral sepals lanceolate, ending in spinous tip, broader at base, 9 mm long, silky hairy. Flowers purple with darker veins and white throat; corolla 21-23 x 12-14 mm, tube (5-)7 mm long, pubescent; central lobe wider than long, constricted at the base, truncate. Stamens with purple anthers, 3 mm long; filaments (4-)5 mm long, glandular. Style with patch of glandular hairs at the base. Capsules and seeds not seen.