Putterlickia verrucosa Sim

Straggling shrub or small tree up to 3 m tall, spreading, much-branched. Spinescent, glabrous. Branches terete, with angular twigs, reddish or purplish brown, becoming grey-brown and verrucose with prominent whitish warty lenticels, each with a longitudinal slit, sometimes with insect galls (locally swollen). Spines slender or robust, straight, up to 70 mm long, not floriferous, sometimes leafy. Leaves alternate or fasciculate, shortly petiolate, coriaceous, glossy grey-green above and paler brown below when dry, glabrous; lamina ovate, obovate to oblanceolate-spathulate, 10-85 x 6-24 mm, apex often emarginate and mucronate, otherwise obtuse to rounded, base cuneate, margin serrulate or spinulose-denticulate, sometimes subentire and undulate with a few teeth, revolute, venation more raised below than above, principal lateral veins raised on both sides; petiole 0.5-3.0 mm long. Stipules subulate. Inflorescence a dichasium or subdichasium, solitary, axillary or on brachyblasts; peduncle 7-40 mm long, pedicels (1-)3-5 mm long. Flowers 5-merous, 3-20 in a cyme, 5-10 mm in diameter. Sepals 1-2 mm long, equal, oblong to suborbicular, apex obtuse to rounded, margin laciniate. Petals 2.0-4.5 mm long, white or cream, oblong, margin uneven or ciliolate, reflexed lengthwise. Disc broad, flat, saucer-like, margin slightly crenate. Stamens 2 mm long, anthers small, 1 mm long. Ovary 3-locular. 1.5 times as long as style: ovules 6-12 per locule; style 0.5 mm long: stigma subcapitate or 3-lobed. Capsules cream to pink, becoming reddish brown when mature, obconic-trigonous, smooth, 15-25 mm long. Seeds 2-8, reddish brown, completely enveloped by a well developed, orange aril.