Perennial, compact subshrub, up to 70(-100) mm tall with reduced branching and very short internodes (< 5 mm long). Leaves oblanceolate, 40-60(-70) x (5-)7-10 mm; margin strongly undulate, dentate spinose to coarsely dentate spinose, spines fine to strong, 2-4 mm long, yellow; densely villose with long spreading hairs and short, spreading glandular hairs; base attenuate; subsessile or with petiole 2-5(-10) mm long. Inflorescences often attenuate to cuneate with a number of small, ovate to obovate sterile bracts at the base; 25-50(-70) mm long and 9-12 mm in diameter; basal portion of bracts overlapping, rarely exposing parts of the inflorescence axis. Bracts hemispherical to wedge-shaped, 20-22 mm long, base 7-9 mm long; middle and upper bracts ending in 5 primary spines; central primary spine usually compound, with (1)2 or often 3 pairs of marginal secondary spines; 2 lateral primary spines usually with 1 long secondary spine (marginal or basal) directed towards central primary spine and 1(-3) much shorter additional marginal secondary spine(s); secondary spines usually shorter, occasionally equal to primary spines; spines spreading in flower and slightly recurved in fruit; bract base densely villose with long, spreading to atrorse hairs as well as short, deflexed hairs and short glandular hairs; spines glabrescent to villose with short spreading hairs as well as isolated short glandular hairs. Bracteoles linear, 8-9 mm long; densely silky hairy. Calyx with dorsal sepal ovate, cuspidate, 13-14 mm long, densely silky hairy; ventral sepal ovate, 10-11 mm long; densely silky hairy; lateral sepals 8 mm long, densely silky hairy. Flowers purple with cream to white throat, 24-26 x 10-12 mm, tube 7-10 mm long; central lobe usually broader than long, constricted at base, emarginate. Stamens with orangy-brown anthers, 2 mm long; filaments 5-6 mm long, glandular with spreading hairs towards the base. Style with patch of glandular hairs at the base. Capsules ovate in face view, flattened, glabrous, shiny, 7 x 3 mm; 2-seeded. Seeds not seen.
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