The shrubby mesemb species, Ruschia acutangula (Haw.) Schwantes, was recently rediscovered on the foothills of Jonaskop between Villiersdorp and McGregor, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The species has been lost to science for a long time, possibly since its first discovery more than 175 years ago. An emended description and its known distribution are provided here. The conservation status of R. acutangula is uncertain, and the species is probably threatened due to loss of habitat to farmlands and other developments.