Sclerolaena tricuspis

Straggling shrub to c. 80 cm high, branches weakly ribbed, often streaked red, glabrous except for axillary hair-tufts. Leaves terete, flattened toward base, 5–15 mm long, grey-green, sparsely cottony at base, otherwise glabrous. Fruiting perianth glabrous, often arising at or near right-angles from stem which may be gently flexed at the point of attachment; tube 2–3 mm long, expanded at base, centrally or slightly obliquely attached, often appearing immersed in stem, attachment almost flat but not readily breaking free from stem; limb conical, exserted to c. 1 mm beyond spine-bases; spines 3, straw-coloured, nearly equally radiating from apex of tube, 6–15 mm long. Fruits mainly Aug.–Oct.