Straggling herb to ± 60 cm.. Stem and branches striate, increasingly furnished above with flexuose or upwardly directed brownish multicellular hairs.. Leaves broadly elliptic, ± 7 × 3 cm., acute to acuminate, cuneate at the base into a ± 5 mm. petiole, with scattered, rather long, appressed brownish multicellular hairs on both surfaces but especially along the lower surface of the primary venation.. Inflorescences terminal, formed of racemes of sessile, ± distant globose heads of reduced cymes ± 1.5 cm. in diameter on an axis up to ± 10 cm. long.. Bracts lanceolate-ovate, ± 6.5 mm., brownish-membranous, ± densely long-pilose dorsally with brownish multicellular hairs (these matted with the lanate hairs of the cyme axes), the rather slender midrib excurrent in a long glochidiate-tipped (barbs numerous) arista; bracteoles slightly narrower and more densely pilose; ultimate divisions of cymes of a central fertile flower and several sterile flowers.. Outer 2 tepals narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 8 mm., ± densely pilose over the entire dorsal surface, narrowly hyaline-margined, 3–5-nerved with the outer 2 nerves, if present, short, the midrib excurrent in a very short glochidiate-tipped arista; inner 3 tepals similar but somewhat shorter, acute only, the midrib scarcely excurrent and not glochidiate.. Modified flowers of several (to ± 12) glochidiate-tipped spines contained in 2 bracteoles smaller than those of the fertile flowers, and with the arista subequalling the lamina.. Filaments slender, ± 4 mm.; pseudostaminodes cuneate-oblong, ± 2 mm., dorsally lanate-fimbriate about the incurved apex but with no dorsal scale.. Ovary turbinate-obconical, ± 2 mm., with a flat, firm apex.. Style slender, ± 3.5 mm.. Mature fruit and seeds unknown.. Fig. 13/9.
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