Aspalathus rostrata Benth.

An erect shrub, probably more than 1 m tall, with pale, rigid, spreading branches ending as thorns. Young branches ± sulcate, minutely puberulous, thorn-like; short, non-thorny lateral branchlets developed in axils of long-shoot leaves. Leaflets linear-filiform, 3-10(-12) mm long, almost straight, greyish, non-pungent, short-sericeous. Leaf base tubercle-like, continuing into a blunt, less than 1 mm long, apically subglabrous woody spur. Flowers solitary, each on a leafy short-shoot. Bract and bracteoles linear-filiform, ±2-2.5 mm long, short sericeous, caducous. Pedicel 2-3 mm long, sericeous. Calyx tube short-sericeous; lobes narrowly triangular, 2-3 mm long, sericeous. Petals pale or light yellow. Standard blade ovate, 13-14 x 10-12 mm, short sericeous on the back; without basal callosities. Wing blades 10-12 x 4-4.5 mm, glabrous. Keel narrowly rostrate, apically prolonged, with the blades fused both below and above, next to but not at the apex, forming a tube around style and anthers; keel blades 13.5-15 mm long, 4.5-5.2 mm broad at broadest part. Anthers: basifixed anthers linear, much longer than the dorsifixed ones. Pistil: ovary elongate, hairy above; ovules 10-14; style glabrous; stigma slightly forwardly directed. Pods not seen.