Heterorhachis hystrix J.C.Manning & P.O.Karis

Shrublet up to 1 m high, branching from near base, with erect to ascending, closely leafy stems. Stems densely white-felted when young, later glabrescent. Leaves sessile, rigid, semi-amplexicaul, spreading or erect-spreading, becoming declinate, greyish and withering on older stems, blade cuneate in outline, 30-60 x 15-30 mm, pinnatisect, 3-or 4-jugate, rachis 3-4 mm wide at base, mostly bifurcate, sometimes trifurcate but median lobe declinate and smaller than laterals, lobes linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, largest (10-)20-50 x 2-3(-5) mm, becoming progressively smaller basipetally and reduced to series of spines at base, margins revolute, apex excurrent in yellow spine 2-3 mm long, cobwebbed when young but adaxial surface glabrescent, at length glabrous and shining, abaxial surface persistently white-felted. Capitula homogamous, discoid, terminal and axillary in upper axils forming dense, racemose synflorescences, 40-50 mm across involucral bracts. Involucre cup-shaped, leathery, ± 8 mm diam., bracts ± 4-seriate, glandular-puberulous on both surfaces, especially abaxially, yellowish green, ovate-lanceolate, apex excurrent in spine 1.0-1.5 mm long, outermost series reflexed, margins lightly recurved thus convex adaxially, ± 15 x 5 mm, with 2 or 3 pairs of spines in basal half, second and third series patent to erecto-patent, plane or margins lightly revolute in distal half, second series largest, ± 20 x 8 mm, with 1 or 2 pairs of sub-basal spines, third series slightly smaller, with 1 pair of basal spines, innermost series erect and forming collar along involucral margin, oblong, 4-7 x 2-3 mm, fimbriate-ciliate. Receptacle deeply alveolate with smooth walls, marginal pits very deep with leathery walls, completely enclosing ovary/cypsela and pappus and becoming indurated and woody in fruit, inner pits with thinner, membranous walls remaining papery in fruit, shallower and exposing pappus. Marginal florets ± 8, disc florets ± 18, corolla funnel-shaped, glandular, tube ± 6 mm long, lobes erect, lanceolate with scarified margins, ± 3 mm long; anthers tailed, with lanceolate apical appendages ± 4.5 mm long; endothecial cells with ± entire inner periclinal wall reinforced. Cypselae turbinate, ± 2 x 1 mm, 10-ribbed, with scattered variously long glandular hairs, pale brown. Pappus scales biseriate, ± 10 + 10, lanceolate, outer series ± 1 mm long, inner series ± 1.8 mm long, with some short glandular hairs, fimbriate with some to many cilia gland-tipped. Pollen spinulose.