Aspalathus cytisoides Lam.

An erect, rather rigid, branched shrub or shrublet 0.2-0.6 m tall. Young branches short-tomentose. Leaves: those on long-shoots ultimately with axillary short-shoots. Leaflets (of long-shoot leaves) generally oblanceolate or very narrowly elliptic to linear, most of them 4-15 x 1.5-5 mm, those on young branches with spreading pubescence or locally (at Tulbagh) grey-hairy, glabrescent, apiculate-mucronate, often S-curved with recurved apex, with distinct midvein beneath. Inflorescence a terminal group or 'head' of 2-12 flowers; branches often with a number of adjacent branchlets, each with a few-flowered inflorescence. Bract linear-filiform, 2.5-3 mm long, pubescent. Pedicel 2-3 mm long, tomentose. Bracteoles filiform, 2.5-3 mm long. Calyx short-tomentose; lobes narrowly triangular, 2.5-4(-5) mm long, ± pubescent, tapering, acuminate, non-pungent. Petals light to bright yellow. Standard blade ovate to circular, 5.5-8 x 5.5-8 mm, rounded at apex, short-tomentose on the back. Wing petals oblong, 6-7 x 2-2.5 mm, with short ± spreading pubescence on lower and front half. Keel blades 5-6 x ±2.5 mm, with ± straight upper margin. Pistil pubescent on upper half of ovary and upper side of style base (±1/2); ovules 4. Pod broadly and obliquely lanceolate, ±8-9 x 2.8 mm, smooth, tomentose.