Aspalathus acanthes Eckl. & Zeyh.

An erect, very sparingly branched shrub 0.5-1.5 m tall; branch(es) short-villous or tomentose, very densely leafy. Leaflets long, needle-like, 12-22 mm long, ±0.7 mm thick, often slightly incurved, mucronate or spine-tipped (not recurved apically), glabrous, or those near branch tips sparsely hairy. Inflorescences unifloral, dispersed along the branch(es). Bract subulate, 3-5.5 x 0.5 mm, puberulous inside. Pedicel 1.5-2.5 mm long, tomentose. Bracteoles subulate, 2.7-4.5 mm long. Calyx tube tomentose or short-hairy to glabrescent, apically spine-tipped. Petals bright yellow. Standard blade 14-17 x 14-17 mm, short-sericeous on the back (except on margins), glabrous on the front. Wing blades 12-14(-15) x 5.2-6.5(-7) mm, subglabrous (some pubescence present at the upper basal part). Keel blades lunate, slightly beaked, 8-9 x 4.5-5(-5.5) mm, apically rounded, glabrous. Pistil rather long-woolly on ovary and style base; ovules 2. Pod broadly lanceolate, 13.5-15 x 4.8-5.5 mm, white woolly.