It has horizontal flowering stems of 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) in diameter, flushed reddish, with some soft hairs that may be lost with age.

The lower part, that remains merged when the flower is open, is about 7 mm (0.28 in) long, hairless or slightly powdery and somewhat flattened sideways.

The middle part (or claws), are each about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide, thinly softly hairy, the one facing the edge of the head free, the other three remaining fused, all strongly curled back.

glabrum on the other hand has red and yellow more upright flowers with short tubes that contain a large amount of nectar with much less sugar content.

[5] L. tottum has narrowly lance-shape to line-shaped oblong leaves, mostly with an entire margin, hairless, loosely overlapping bracts subtending the flower head, egg-shaped pollen presenters and nearly straight styles that become spreading when fully mature.

[2] Johann Auge, assistant at the Dutch East India Company‘s garden in Cape Town, probably was the first who collected the ribbon pincushion for science.

[2] In 1891, German botanist Otto Kuntze published Revisio generum plantarum, his response to what he perceived as a lack of method in existing nomenclatural practice.

[9] It is uncertain, what the meaning is of the epithet tottum, but early Dutch botanist Martinus Houttuyn has suggested that it may be derived from the word Hottentot for the indigenous people of the area in the 18th century.

[10] The ribbon pincushion can be found from Eselbank in the Cederberg in the north, through the Koue Bokkeveld, Ceres, Worcester, and the Paarl Mountains to Villiersdorp in the south.

Specimens are usually found individually growing in rugged mountainous terrain on acidulous, nutrient poor soils, at 300–1800 m (1000–6000 ft) altitude, except for a few dense congregations near Villiersdorp and on the Zuurvlakte near Tulbagh.

glabrum is restricted to the Jan du Toit's Kloof, which is located in the western Hex River Mountains.

Here, these are collected by ants, who take them to their underground nest, where the pale, soft elaiosome is consumed, leaving the brown, hard and smooth seed protected against the periodic wildfires that are characteristic for the fynbos in which it grows.

tottum that has a small amount of sugar-rich nectar at the bottom of long perianth tubes, is pollinated specifically by Horse-flies with long proboscises (Philoliche rostrata and P. gulosa) and Cape sugarbirds (Promerops cafer), while the orange-breasted sunbird (Anthobaphes violacea) is a less regular visitor.