Aspalathus steudeliana Brongn.

An erect, copiously branched shrub 0.3-1 m tall, with numerous very slender branches and branchlets, the latter densely short-and white-villous and beset with small grain-like or vermiform leaflets. Leaflets oviform-vermiform, 0.5-2 mm long and 0.3-0.4 mm thick, often slightly incurved, terete, obtuse to subacute, glabrous. Inflorescences unifloral, on lateral short-shoots, dispersed along the branches, in great numbers. Flowers small. Bract accreted to the pedicel, emerging near its middle; small, linear-subulate or triangular, (0.1-)0.3-1.1 mm long, subglabrous. Pedicel 0.5-1.8 mm long, puberulous. Bracteoles 0.1-0.8 mm long. Calyx narrowly campanulate, sometimes reddish, puberulous; lobes small, triangular-semicircular or oblong, 0.3-0.7 mm long, obtuse, ± green, subglabrous. Petals light to bright yellow. Standard blade 4-5.5 x 3-4.5(-4.8) mm, with acute and slightly incurved apex, pubescent only on the sides of the base; sides ± incurved. Wing blades 3-4.3 x 1.2-2 mm, glabrous, with 2 rows of minute, transverse folds on upper parts. Keel blades 3.5-4.5 x 1.6-2.4 mm, glabrous. Pistil short-sericeous on most parts of the ovary; ovules 2. Pods obliquely triangular-ovate, 5.2-6.8 x 2.5-3.6 mm, sericeous-to-mentose on most parts, black when ripe.