Aspalathus hystrix L.F.

An erect, rather much branched shrub 1-2(-3) m tall; young branches densely tomentose or short-woolly, with spreading leaflets. Leaflets needle-like, 5-18 mm long and 0.4-0.7 mm thick, subterete, straight or slightly in-or recurved, rigid, ending as a sharp, narrow, brown spinelet up to about 1 mm long. Inflorescences unifloral, often concentrated, few together, on the branch ends. Bract linear-subulate, (1.5-)2.5-5 mm long, white-pubescent, spine-tipped. Pedicel 0.5-2 mm long, tomentose. Bracteoles 2-5 mm long. Calyx campanulate, densely white-tomentose; lobes narrowly triangular, 3-7 mm long, tapering into a sharp, brown spine. Petals light yellow. Standard blade circular, 9-13.5 x 10-13 mm, densely tomentose on the back, puberulous on the marginal-apical parts of the front; with a short tip. Wing blades narrowly and obliquely obovate-elliptic, 7-10 x 3-4.2 mm, glabrous or with some pubescence on apical parts. Keel blades lunate, 7.5-9.5(-11) x 4.2-5.2(-5.5) mm, obtuse, glabrous, with upper margin ± straight or slightly S-curved. Pistil densely tomentose on ovary and basal one-fifth of style; ovules 2(-4). Pod obliquely lanceolate, (10-)11-15(-17) x (3.2-)3.5-5 mm, woolly or partly tomentose.