Aspalathus pallescens Eckl. & Zeyh.

An erect shrub, 0.5-1.2 m tall, rather densely branched, with rigid, stiff branches. Young branches white-tomentose or villous. Leaves on prominent but not spurred leaf base tubercles. Leaflets linear, 3-6 mm long, subterete, slightly incurved, not stiff, pale green, subglabrous or with sparse, short appressed hairs, obtuse or acute. Inflorescences unifloral, on lateral short-shoots, distributed several together along the branches below leafy branch tips. Bract simple, linear, ±1.5 mm long, sub-obtuse, apical half green, subglabrous and subterete, basal half pale, puberulous. Bracteoles similar to the bract, 1.5-2 mm long. Calyx tube campanulate, short-tomentose; lobes narrowly ovate or oblong, 3-4 x 1.2-1.7 mm, upper-lateral ones partly overlapping basally, subacute, basally pubescent, with distinct, green, subglabrous margins and midrib; upper two lobes divided by a comparatively deep slit. Petals pale yellow (or cream-white). Standard blade almost circular, 6-6.5 x 7-8 mm, rounded apically, short-sericeous on the back. Wing blades narrowly rectangular-elliptic, 5.5-6 x ±2 mm. Keel blades ±5 x 2.5 mm, glabrous, with very slightly upcurved upper margin. Wing and keel claws free from the staminal sheath. Pistil short-stipitate; ovary sericeous. Pod triangular-ovate, 6.5-7.5 x ±3.5 mm, smooth, sparsely short-tomentose.