Aspalathus brevicarpa (R.Dahlgren) R.Dahlgren

A prostrate, dense, often mat-like shrublet with main branches up to ±1 m long (basally sometimes up to 10 mm thick), often lax; young branches reddish to pale yellowish, short-villous or puberulous. Leaves densely set. Leaflets linear, 1.5-5 mm long, 0.3-0.5 mm thick, subterete, light green, glabrous, curved (usually incurved), weak, acute, apiculate or spine-tipped. Inflorescence unifloral, on leafy (usually not peduncle-like) branchlet ends. Flowers rather small. Bract short, ovate-subulate, 1,0-1.8 x 0.3-0.6(-0.8) mm, mucronulate or ending in a short spinelet. Pedicel 0.8-2.5 mm long, short-pubescent. Bracteoles 0.8-1.5(-1.8) mm long. Calyx tube glabrous or usually puberulous; lobes triangular, 1-1.9(-2.7) mm long, tipped with a short spinelet. Petals bright yellow. Standard blade 5-6.8(-7.7) x (4.3-)5-6(-7) mm, obtuse or subacute, short-sericeous on apical half of most of the back. Wing blades oblong-or narrowly obovate, (3-)3.8-4.7(-5.5) x 1.5-2.2 mm, broadest distally, glabrous. Keel blade curved at almost right angles near the middle, 4.1-5.8 mm (measured straight from base to apex), 1.8-2.5 mm broad near middle, glabrous, obtuse, with S-curved upper margin. Pistil short-stipitate, pubescent on upper half of the ovary and style base. Pod ovate, short, (4-)4.5-6.2(-7) x 2.7-3.3 mm, short-sericeous on most parts.