Carissa bispinosa flower cluster

This Carissa bispinosa flower cluster shows bits of the corolla tubes behind the spreading, slightly overlapping flower lobes. The outsides of the tubes are about the same colour as that which is visible of them inside the flower mouths. The flowers are close to sessile, hardly stalked. The cylindrical tubes are from 6 mm to 9 mm long.

The ovate to elliptic leaves almost all curve in laterally. Most end in tiny, spiny protrusions or mucros. The real, equally branched spines of the plant are another matter. Take care! At least one of the spines in picture is double-branched. Take care twice (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; iNaturalist).