Aspalathus tulbaghensis R.Dahlgren

An erect, 0.6-1.2 m tall shrub, much branched, with straight, rigid, spreading branches. Lateral branchlets divaricate, strong, straight, rigid, thorny, reddish yellow, white-tomentose or villous on most parts but with a sharp, glabrous, pale yellowish apex. Leaflets subulate, 2-6 mm long, subterete or somewhat angular, straight or apically recurved, rigid, glabrous, light green, tapering into a sharp spinelet. Inflorescence a terminal raceme the axis of which comprises a pungent thorn; raceme with 1-3 flowers, the distal one situated 10-25 mm from the thorn apex; distance between flowers short. Flowers larger than those in A. acuminata, but similar in most respects. Bract lanceolate-subulate, 2-3 x 0.8-1.2 mm, abaxially glabrous, spine-tipped. Pedicel 1-2 mm long, white-tomentose. Bracteoles 1.6-3.4 mm long, green base abruptly narrowing to become subulate and spine-tipped, the spines ±1 mm long or more and yellowish. Petals light to bright yellow. Standard blade 10.5-13.5 x 9.5 x 11.5 mm, somewhat recurved, acute or obtuse but with a tip, densely sericeous on the back but glabrous on the front. Wing blades lunate, upcurved, 10.2-12.3 x 3.2-4.3 mm, glabrous, rigid. Keel blades rather rostrate, upcurved at right angles near middle ('boomerang-shaped'), 9,0-9.6 mm long (measured straight from base to apex) and 3.2-4.3 mm broad at broadest point, apex obtuse, lower half densely sericeous. Pistil sericeous on upper parts of ovary and on style base, ciliate on upper side of basal half of style. Pods not seen.