Muraltia spinosa, a leafy specimen

The leaves of Muraltia spinosa are small and oblong to elliptic. They taper to pointed tips that are pale, often turning down with a tiny protrusion at the tip. The leaf surface is dark green to dull green and rough, but hairless. Leaves are singly spaced around the green upper stems, not clumped near the stem tips. Longitudinal furrowing is visible on some of the stems.

This plant was encountered on a dune near the beach at Arniston in midsummer. The ample foliage is notable for this season when deciduous inland M. spinosa plants are typically short on leaves (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok 2010; Manning, 2007).