Blepharis ciliaris (L.) B.L. Burtt  

Cirey pubescent to almost glabrous, up to 30 cm tall, prickly, basally much-branched, perennial herb.
Leaves canescent, sessile to petiolate, in fours at the sterile nodes, 2 - 6x 0.5 - 2 cm, entire to spinulose-margined, oblong to lanceolate, coriaceous, upper surface very scabrous, grey, lower surface lighter incolour, usually glandular-punctate. Inflorescence a dense, strobilate spike, 3-30 cm long. Bracts 4-rowed, patent, coriaceous, channelled, 35 cm long, lanceolate to ovate, strongly veined, with3-5 cm
long, lanceolate to ovate, strongly veined, with 3 - 5 pairs of marginal spines and 1-3.5 cm long spine atthe tip, glabrous, abaxially hairy when young. Bracteoles linear Villous, 1 - 1.5 cm long, Calyx of 4,unequal, soft hairy lobes, the outermost the largest, broadly ovate, 1.7 x0.8 cm, their margins completely covering the rest, 2-3-lobed at the top; the innermost smaller with 2 spiny projection at the top; the lateral 2 linear-lanceolate,5 x 2 mm. Corolla purplish-blue, dark-veined, fading to white, with c. 5 mm long lobe and a single, 2 - 2.5 cm long, hairy, spreading, obtusely 3-lobed lip. Stamens c. 8 mm long includingc. 3 mm long anthers; filaments sparsely hairy at the base. Capsule narrowly ovate, brown, shining, 6 -9 x3 - 5 mm, 2-seeded. Seeds ovate, 4 - 5 x 2 - 3 mm, covered with white appressed hairs but with c. 2 mm long spreading hairs when soaked.