Aspalathus heterophylla L.F.

A decumbent or procumbent shrublet with branches ascending only beneath the floral spikes; branches up to 0.4 m long but not rising more than 0.15(-0.2) m above the ground. Young branches tomentose-sericeous. Leaves trifoliolate, those of young long-shoots linear or narrowly (ob-)lanceolate, 7-12 x 0.2-2 mm, acute or obtuse, flexible, green, sparsely sericeous or glabrescent. Leaves of short-shoots much smaller, subglabrous, densely situated (hence the name 'heterophylla'). Inflorescence a ± sparse spike 40-80 mm long or more, its flowers at a distance of 5-10 mm. Bract lanceolate, 3-10 x 0.5-3 mm, pointed, weak, green, with sparse, half-spreading hairs. Pedicel very short. Bracteoles linear or narrowly lanceolate, as long as the bract but narrower. Calyx with long, straight hairs (in old herbarium specimens often brownish); lobes linear(-triangular),(2-)3.5-7 mm, green, ± recurved, with sparse long hairs. Petals light to clear yellow. Standard blade ovate, 5-7 x 4.5-5.5 mm, acute, tomentose on the back. Wing blades oblong, 4-6 x 2-2.5 mm, sericeous on lower-apical parts, with 2-3 rows of minute folds on upper-basal parts. Keel blades lunate, 3.5-4.5 x 2-2.5 mm, sericeous(-tomentose), upper margin slightly S-curved. Pistil pubescent on ovary and style base; ovules 5 or 6. Pod small, ovate, tomentose, slightly more than 3 x 1.5 mm. Ripe pods not seen.