Aspalathus sanguinea Thunb.

A decumbent or ascending shrub up to more than 1 m tall, from sparingly to densely branched. Young branches with short-villous pubescence. Leaflets linear-vermiform, 2-11(-15) mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm thick, terete, often slightly incurved, obtuse to acute, glabrous. Inflorescences usually unifloral, on lateral short-shoots, distributed along the branches below the leafy tips. Bract visible on the basal half of the pedicel, very small, triangular, tooth-like, 0.1-0.4 mm long. Pedicel slender, 2.5-5.8 mm long, glabrous. Bracteoles tooth-like, 0.1-0.2 mm long. Calyx tube short, campanulate, glabrous; lobes linear-subulate, 2.3 mm long, carnose, subterete, acute or obtuse, glabrous; purplish or green. Petals light or bright yellow or partly rose or purple, glabrous except on standard base. Standard blade 4.5-6.7 x 3.6-5.7 mm, more recurved than in Aspalathus zeyheri, apically incurved and (sub-)acute. Wing blades 3.2-5.2 x 1.4-2.2 mm, glabrous with 2 or 3 longitudinal rows of minute folds on basal upper parts. Keel blades 3.4-5 x 1.8-2.6 mm. Pistil sericeous on upper parts of ovary and style base; ovules 2. Pod lanceolate, 7.3-11 x 2.2-3.6 mm, smooth, hairy on upper margin only.