Wiborgia tetraptera E.Mey.

An erect, branched shrub, (40-)60-150 cm high, with straight, glabrous (or subglabrous), divaricate, rather weak or usually very rigid branches (but not as strong and thick as in W. mucronata). Old branches ending in thorns, with grey bark. Branches last developed yellowish-brown to ferruginous or brown. Leaves glabrous (or often slightly hairy on the petiole), rather dull green. Those on long-shoots subtended by a prominent tubercle, their pedicel varying from almost 0 to 3.5 (or occasionally 5) mm, their leaflets variable, obovate-obcordate or occasionally oblanceolate or linear-cuneate, usually 3-7 x 1-3 mm, flat or with involute sides; their apex obcordate, obtuse or truncate, acute or with a little apicula. Short-shoots normally developed in axils of leaves of long-shoots; leaves of short-shoots usually with pedicels 3-7 mm long. Racemes many-flowered, 3-10 cm long or more, flowers from less than 3 to more than 10 mm apart. Bracts and bracteoles caducous, lanceolate, acuminate, often sparsely hairy; bracts of floral buds up to c. 1.5 mm long or more, bracteoles c. 1 mm. Pedicel 1.2-2.5 mm long in the flowering stage, glabrous or often somewhat puberulous. Calyx glabrous, campanulate, the lower three lobes closer than the upper two, and also narrower, pointed, 0.6-1.1 mm long; the upper lobes triangular, pointed, 0.4-1.0 mm long. Petals cream-coloured or pale greenish-yellow, glabrous. Standard blade elliptic or ovate, (5.7-)6.5-8.0 x (3.6-)3.8-5.5 mm, obtuse, withering rapidly; claw 2.6-3.6(-4.0) mm long. Wing blades 4-8-6.5 x (2.0-)2.4-3.2 mm; claws 2.4-3.5 mm long. Keel blades 6.2-7.9 x (2.3-)2.8-4.6 mm; claws 2.0-3.5 mm long. Pistil glabrous; stipe 2.5-3.5 mm long: ovary with upper wing and distinct lateral ridges; ovules 3-5(-6), usually 4. Fruit a circular papery samara, inch stipe (14-)15-19.5 mm long and 10.5-14 mm broad, with a broad upper wing and prominent lateral wings up to more than 2 mm in height. Lower marginal parts of samara very strongly compressed, wing-like, thin, with almost parallel veins running perpendicular to the margin.