Sesamothamnus lugardii N.E.Br. ex Stapf

Soft-stemmed shrub up to 4 m tall, trunk swollen at the base, up to 1 m in diam., from which arise several thick, erect main branches which taper rapidly; bark grey or mottled with yellow; branches stiff, sparingly branched, spiny; spines spreading to recurved, 5-10 mm, leaves deciduous, oblong to obovate, 1-2.5 cm long, 4-6 mm broad, obtuse to retuse at the apex, cuneate at the base, grey, semi-coriaceous, densely covered with stellately-branched mucilage glands; midrib distinct below, impressed above. Flowers large, sweet-scented, 1-3 in short raceme-like inflorescences on short shoots which are sometimes elongated; pedicels 4 mm long. Calyx 5-partite, 4 mm long. Corolla sparingly tomentose, with a long, cylindrical, only slightly curved tube, 8-10 cm long, 4-6 mm in diam., produced near the base into a short blunt spur, 1-1.5 cm long, cream-coloured, sometimes suffused with purple; limb spreading at first, later reflexed, 4-5 cm in diam., slightly oblique; lobes 5, subcircular, 1.6-2 cm broad. Stamens 4, subequal, inserted near the throat of the corolla tube; filaments 4-5 mm long. Ovary oblong, 7-8 mm long, laterally compressed, bilocular, each loculus divided by an incomplete false septum; ovules many, uniseriate in each compartment. Style slender, equalling the corolla tube; stigma reaching the corolla mouth or exserted [as “exerted”] by up to 10 mm, broadly bilobed. Fruit a rigid woody capsule, obovate in outline, often retuse at the apex, 4-6 cm long, 3.5-5 cm broad, laterally compressed, greyish brown. Seeds flat, transversely oblong, winged, about 1.5 cm long and 2.5 cm broad (incl. wings).