Marasmodes spinosa S.Ortiz

Stout, well-branched shrublets, 0.15-0.3 m tall. Leaves alternate, regularly arranged along branches, spreading, elliptic to oblong or obovate, 2.5-6.0 x 1.5-3.0 mm, pinnatifid, with 3 to 6(8) lateral lobes, some trifid, spine-tipped, rigid, secondary basal lobes well developed; axillary fascicles well-developed. Capitula mostly solitary, some in irregular clusters of 2 or 3, terminal or on axillary shoots 0.5-10.0 mm long. Involucre cylindrical-campanulate to obconical, 3-5 x 3-4 mm; bract margins and apices scarious, sessile glands at appendage base inconspicuous, stereome prominent; outer bracts ovate to narrowly ovate, 1.0-1.5 mm long, margin and apex broadly scarious; middle bracts narrowly ovate to oblong, 2.0-2.5 mm long, margin and apex broadly scarious; inner bracts oblong, 3-4 mm long, broadly scarious, apex with a prominent scarious appendage, reddish pink. Florets ca. 10 to 20; limb 5-lobed from ± midpoint; lobes recurved. Pappus with adaxial scales less than half or sometimes almost equal length of corolla tube.