Aspalathus spinosissima R.Dahlgren

An erect, ascending or diffusely branched shrub ±0.3-1 m tall. Branches rigid, straight, spreading, puberulous to partly glabrous. Leaflets spreading, subulate-acicular, 3-12 mm long, basally 0.3-0.5 mm thick, straight or slightly recurved, rigid, glabrous (or subglabrous), tapering into sharp spines up to longer than 1.5 mm. Inflorescences 1-3-flowered axillary racemes on leafless, subglabrous, slender, peduncle-like branchlets 10-25 mm long, or on basally leafy branchlets with a distal internode of this kind. Bract triangular, subulate or acicular, 0.5-3.5 mm long, pointed. Pedicel 1-2 mm long, glabrous. Bracteoles triangular-subulate, 0.1-0.5 mm long. Calyx tube glabrous, smooth; lobes 3.3 mm long, glabrous, tapering from a triangular base into sharp spines. Petals light or bright yellow, sometimes ± reddish on standard back. Standard blade ovate, broadly ovate or elliptic, 4.2-7.7 x 3.3-4.8 mm, from almost glabrous (with a few hairs on the midrib) to short-pubescent on most parts of the back; apex incurved, pointed. Wing blades 4.3-7.3 x 1.5-2.4 mm, glabrous or with some hairs on lower parts. Keel blades lunate, 4.3-6 x 2-3 mm, slightly upcurved (beaked), sericeous on the lower front parts, with ± concave upper margin. Pistil short-pubescent on at least the upper parts of the ovary and upper side of the basal half of the style. Pod triangular-lanceolate, 8.5-11 x 3.5-4.3 mm, sparsely appressed puberulous to subglabrous.