Barleria oxyphylla Lindau

Spiny suffrutex 10-30 cm tall, 1 to several erect branches from a woody base; stems with fine white retrorse hairs mainly arranged in two opposite-decussate rows. Leaves linear or narrowly oblong, 3-6 x 0.5-1 cm, base cuneate, apex acute, mucronate, surfaces yellowish-hispid particularly on veins beneath and margin, hairs along margin with a ± bulbous base, with few to numerous fine white retrorse hairs when young; lateral veins 3-4 pairs; petiole 0-3 mm. Inflorescence axillary, single-flowered, sessile; bracteoles spinose, green with paler margin, 12-21 x 1-1.5 mm, margin entire or with 1-3 lateral teeth; pairs persisting at lower nodes as paired axillary spines, then whitish. Calyx green with paler margin, later scarious; anterior lobe ovate-elliptic or lanceolate, 12-18 x 3.5-5 mm, margin with 6-9 stiff spines 1-3 mm long ending in a bristle, apex spinose or bifidly so, surface with sparse to numerous fine crisped or straight white hairs particularly along margin, with sparse stiff yellowish hairs along main veins; posterior lobe as anterior but 15-21 mm long, apex long-spinose; lateral lobes linear-lanceolate, 6.5-9 mm long. Corolla 19-24 mm long, blue (according to Lindau), sparsely pubescent externally; tube 12-14.5 mm long, throat campanulate; limb subregular; abaxial lobe 6.5-8.5 x 5.5 mm; lateral lobes 7-10 x 4.5-5 mm; adaxial lobes as lateral pair but 3.5-4 mm wide. Stamens attached c.5 mm from base of corolla tube; filaments c.10 mm long; anthers c.1.7 mm long; lateral staminodes 1.3-1.7 mm long, pubescent, antherodes 0.7 mm long. Ovary with apical ring of minute crisped hairs; style glabrous; stigma subcapitate, 0.3-0.4 mm long. Capsule c.13 mm long, glabrous. Seeds c.4.5 x 4 mm.