Aspalathus glabrata R.Dahlgren

A much branched, ascending or erect shrub 0.3-1 m tall, with rigid, strong, spreading branches. Young branches spreading, densely puberulous (short-tomentose); lateral branchlets as in A. spinosa developed as leafless, lateral, glabrous, yellow, divaricate, slightly recurved branched thorns 6-15 mm long. Leaflets linear (-subfiliform), 4-8 mm long, ±0.4 mm thick, subterete or slightly flattened (with a longitudinal groove above and below), flexible, glabrous, bright green, acute. Flowers solitary or in pairs, situated in leaf fascicles (short-shoots) along the branches; larger than in A. spinosa. Bract accreted to the pedicel base, only 0.3-0.5 mm long, tooth-like (deltoid), subglabrous. Pedicel 3-4 mm long, basally puberulous, otherwise glabrous. Bracteoles 0.1-0.3 mm long. Calyx broadly campanulate, wider than in A. spinosa, smooth, glabrous; lobes deltoid-triangular, ±1.5 mm long, acute, glabrous. Petals bright yellow. Standard blade 7.5-9.5 x 5.5-7 mm, rounded apically (but with a short 'tip'), glabrous except on the base. Wing blades linear-oblong, slightly curved, 6.2-8.2 x 2-2.6 mm, glabrous, with narrow apex and 1-2 rows of transverse folds on upper basal half; upper margin partly incurved. Keel blades 6.2-6.8 x 3.2-4 mm, rather rigid, glabrous, upcurved, with concave upper margin. Pistil pubescent on top and sides of the ovary, and on upper side of the basal half of the style; ovules 2. Pod triangular-ovate, 7.5-8.2 x 4.5-5.2 mm, hard, slightly rugose, ± tomentose on the sides of the basal half.