Glycyrrhiza acanthocarpa

Erect subshrub, to 1 m tall; stems virtually glabrous. Leaves 2–8 cm long; leaflets 9–17, linear to elliptic or obovate, 10–40 mm long, 2–14 mm wide, apices shortly mucronate, margins with minute, curved hairs, both surfaces glandular-punctate; stipules 3–5 mm long. Racemes spike-like, exceeding subtending leaves; peduncles 3–6 cm long; pedicels c. 0.5 mm long. Flowers many, congested, purple; calyx 3–4 mm long, glabrous, gland-dotted, teeth about equal to tube; corolla 5–8 mm long; standard lanceolate, 2–3 mm wide; keel linear-oblong, acute, long-clawed. Pod ovoid, 5–7 mm long, 2–5 mm wide, rusty-coloured, covered with hard prickles; seed 1, reniform, c. 3 mm long, olive-green mottled black. Flowers Nov.–May.