Wiborgia monoptera E.Mey.

An erect, rigid shrub usually 60-100 cm high with usually light grey, stiff, straight old branches ending in rather stiff thorns, not as strong, however, as in W. mucronata. Young branches and branchlets often light and yellowish, always covered with a close to sparse, sericeous pubescence. Leaves of long-shoots varying according to stage; leaf base distinct, somewhat tubercular and often becoming prominent in later stages; petiole often short and generally less than 5 mm, but occasionally up to 8.5 mm, subterete or very slightly flattened, from very sparsely to densely short-sericeous; leaflets oblanceolate (to obovate), 4-6.5(-8.5) x 1.5-3.5 mm, apiculate, acuminate or rounded-obtuse with a point, glabrous or usually sparsely (sometimes densely) sericeous on the lower side, subglabrous to sericeous on the upper side. Short-shoots usually developed in axils of long-shoot leaves, generally making up the main part of the foliage. Short-shoot leaves usually with petioles considerably longer than long-shoot leaves in corresponding part of the branches, varying from less than 5.5 to more than 13.5 mm; leaflet blades as in long-shoot leaves but often somewhat narrower and more involute, often slightly recurved at the apex. Racemes usually 2-4 cm long, not particularly multiflorous, with (2-)5-15 flowers; the axis usually sericeous. Bract seldom present in the flowering stage, being shed early in the bud, linear or very narrowly oblanceolate, 1.5-2.0 mm long, sparsely sericeous or at least ciliated on the margins. Pedicel 1.0-2.5 mm long, sericeous. Bracteoles similar to the bract, but often somewhat longer and narrower. Calyx tube openly campanulate, thin, subglabrous or usually sparsely sericeous; upper lobes rather distant from the lower three, triangular, 0.5-0.8 mm long, pointed, glabrous or somewhat sericeous; lower lobes more narrowly triangular and slightly longer than the upper. Petals light yellow, glabrous. Standard blade ovate, (5.0-)6.0-7.2 x 3.0-5.0 mm, with slightly incurved apex, strongly reflexed at the base during anthesis; claw 2.3-3.5 mm long. Wing blades narrowly triangular-ovate, obtuse, (4.0-)4.5-5.8(-6.2) x 1.8-2.9; claws 2.0-3.0 mm long. Keel blades, subacute, without or with indistinct lateral bulges, (5.0-)5.8-8.3 x 2.8-4.0 mm; claws 2.0-2.6 mm long. Pistil glabrous or with some hairs on upper part of stipe near the ovary base; upper wing distinct. Fruit a circular to broadly oval or obovate samara, 12.5-18 x 9.5-18.5 mm, with upper wing c. 4-5 mm broad and often reaching far beyond the style base; sides distinctly reticulate-veined, without longitudinal ridge or wing on the sides; surface glossy or dull.