Aspalathus spinosa subsp. spinosa floral stages

Aspalathus spinosa subsp. spinosa is a yellow-flowering shrub growing rigid main branches, covered in tufts of needle-like, trifoliolate leaves and some intimidating spines among them.

On the bud to the left in picture, yellow has not quite replaced green yet; its cup-shaped calyx tube with small, pointed lobes is about similarly coloured to the furled corolla protruding already.

In the open flower the upcurved keel is rounded and pointed, flanked by the pair of narrow, oblong wing petals, over which the largest petal, the banner, presides with a distinct fold along its centre.

The old flowers in picture have lost colour but kept shape, while the solitary spine is sharp, prepared for attacks from below; maybe an unlikely direction to be of use (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Pooley, 1998; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://www.worldfloraonline.org).