Limonium capense (L.Bolus) L.Bolus

Shrublet 30-45 cm tall, freely branched and densely leafy. Leaves erect or suberect, obovate-spathulate, 1.8-2.5 cm long, 3-4 mm broad, glaucous or scurfy and minutely pitted. Inflorescence on a short slender rhachis, rarely longer than the leaves, flexuous spicate with few to several spikelets; the outer bracts ovate or oblong, 4-5 mm long, with membranous margins. Spikelets 1-flowered; bract 10-12 mm long, enclosing the basal half of the calyx, with broad membranous margin. Calyx 1.8-2 cm long, spreading-pilose on the backs of the ribs below the middle and sometimes the ribs also very shortly adpressed-pubescent almost to the apex; the limb reddish-purple, about 1.7 cm diam., with 10 subequal shallow lobes. Petals purple, spathulate, 1.5 cm long. Anthers 3 mm long divided in the lower half and attached to filament about the middle. Ovary 5-winged.