Eriocephalus namaquensis M.A.N.Müll.

Many-stemmed, mostly sympodially branched, spinescent shrubs, 250-450 mm tall and in diameter. Old stems displaying anomalous secondary growth, bark grey; young shoots light brown, often with purple tinge, shortly sericeous, glabrescent; older branches grey. Leaves opposite, even on flowering shoots, decussate and densely imbricate on brachyblasts, linear-triangular, 1-3(-5) x 0.4-0.6 mm, entire, adaxially flattened and slightly concave towards base, abaxially convex and keeled distally, permanently densely silver-sericeous, apex acute. Capitula heterogamous disciform, solitary on brachyblasts and/or in terminal racemes, 2.8-4.0 mm long; peduncles 2.5-12.0 mm long, densely appressed silver-sericeous. Involucral bracts 4, ovate to narrowly lanceolate, 2.0-3.5 x 1.5-2.0 mm, apex acute, 2 slightly keeled, other 2 slightly flattened, central part herbaceous, green with red-purple tinge, membranous margin narrow or absent. Paleae: those of marginal florets free, lanceolate, 4-8 mm long, membranous, margins long-pilose and enveloping female florets, abaxially long-pilose, hairs septate; those of disc florets lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 2.5-3.0 mm long, membranous, margins and abaxial surface long-lanate, apex acute. Marginal female florets 2.2.5-3.5 mm long, cream-coloured; corolla tube with short lamina, narrowly cuneate, 3-lobed, shorter than style furcation. Style branches flattened, apex acute. Ovary (and cypsela) slightly flattened, long-lanate. Seed 1.5-2.3 mm long. Disc florets (3-)5-8(-10), functionally male with sterile ovary, 3.2-4.0 mm long; corolla tubular, widening upwards, 5-lobed, tubular part yellow-white with red-purple limb. Style unbranched, truncate, with sweeping hairs. Stamens 5, slightly exserted at maturity. Receptacle after anthesis with dense, white, long-pilose indumentum between involucral bracts and marginal paleae. Flowering time: varying from July to October and January to March in the different rainfall regions.