Aspalathus serpens R.Dahlgren

A procumbent shrublet with creeping branches up to 1.5 (rarely up to 3) m long, sparsely or sometimes much, but loosely, branched; young branches slender, yellowish, sparsely puberulous (-short-sericeous), glabrescent; floriferous branches peduncle-like (see below). Leaflets subulate-acicular, 2-7 mm long, subterete, straight, rigid, glabrous, bright green, ending in a very sharp spinelet. Flowers small, solitary, on the ends of lateral, leafless, sparsely puberulous-subglabrous, sub-filiform (but rigid), 6-17 mm long peduncles, arising from short-shoots. Bract subulate, 0.6-2.3 mm long, subglabrous, spine-tipped. Pedicel 1.2-3.5 mm long, glabrous or puberulous. Bracteoles 0.3-1(-1.4) mm long. Calyx tube glabrous, with distinct longitudinal ridges; lobes narrowly triangular, (0.9-)1.2-2.7 mm long, glabrous, tapering into a sharp spinelet (sharper than in A. biflora). Petals pale to bright yellow. Standard blade 5-7.5 x 3.5-5.6 mm, obtuse or acute, laterally ± incurved, back short-sericeous on most parts. Wing blades (2.8-)3.2-4.7(-5.6) x 1.2-2.1 mm, glabrous. Keel lunate, 3.5-5 x 1.7-2.5 mm, glabrous, upper apical parts slightly squarish, (but not as protracted as in A. microphylla); upper margin S-curved. Pistil pubescent on upper parts of the ovary and upper side of basal half of style. Pod triangular-lanceolate, 9-13 x 3.5-4.3 mm, sparsely short-sericeous on most parts.