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Leaves broadly linear to narrowly oblong, 13·40 × 3–9 mm., somewhat crisped-margined, acute to obtuse, mucronate, glabrous or thinly pilose (especially on the lower surface of younger leaves), sessile or abruptly narrowed (and in broader leaves subauriculate) into a very short petiole, often darkening on drying and commonly with fasciculiform axillary short shoots.
Inflorescence crimson, capitate to shortly cylindrical, 1–4 × 1.5–1.75 cm. but elongating to as much as 8.5 cm. in fruit, the axis thinly to moderately white-pilose, more or less sulcate, formed of closely set partial inflorescences.
Bracteoles of the partial inflorescences broadly deltoid-ovate, 4–5 mm. long, very concave and more or less carinate with the prominent darker midrib, which is not excurrent or very shortly so on the dorsal surface below the apex.
Perennial herb, woody at the base, 15–60 cm. tall with numerous stems from the base and usually a few opposite (rarely alternate by suppression) branches diverging at 30–45 degrees above.
Bracteoles of the sterile flowers c. 5–6 mm. long, ovate, the midrib ceasing below the blunt, hyaline apex or excurrent dorsally below the apex in a short or longer rigid arista.
Bracts deltoid-ovate, scarious-margined with a firm centre, glabrous or thinly pilose, 3.5–4.5 mm. long, shortly mucronate with the excurrent midrib.
Erect, perennial herb, up to 300 mm tall. Leaves narrowly ovate to ovate, base hastate. Flowers in sessile spikes. Flowers red.
Sterile flowers of a single spine becoming to c. 4–5 mm. long in fruit, swollen and more or less lanate at the base.
Ovary oblong, c. 2 mm. long; style 4–5.5 mm. long, with short to very short stigmatal branches.
Fruit c. 3–3.5 mm. long; seed 2.75–3 mm. long, brown, shining, faintly reticulate.
Stem and branches terete, glabrous or thinly pilose (especially about the nodes).
Stamens finally 8–9 mm. long; anthers narrowly oblong, c. 2 mm. long.
