Erect or sprawling, woody, succulent shrub to 60 cm. high, terrestrial or epiphytic.. Stem branched, with numerous prominent leaf-scars, lower bark papery, peeling; apex of stem bearing 1–4 short spur shoots, which may produce a few divaricate tortuous branches; aerial roots may be produced from the branches (only seen on cultivated specimens); flowering shoot terminal from main shoot or spur shoots, up to 30 cm. or more long, succulent.. Leaves of barren shoots sessile, rosulate at apex of shoot; lamina spathulate or obovate-orbicular, 1.5–11 cm. long, 1.5–5 cm. wide, possibly larger, apex rounded or subacuminate, base shortly spurred in herbarium material, margins entire, pectinate-ciliate, surfaces glabrous or minutely glandular-pubescent; leaves of flowering shoots sessile, spirally arranged; lamina obovate-spathulate to broadly obovate, 2–15 cm. long, 2–4 cm. wide, apex obtuse to shortly acute, base usually attenuate, shortly spurred in herbarium material, pectinate-ciliate, otherwise glabrous or minutely glandular-pubescent.. Inflorescence a thyrsoid corymb, ovoid or dome-shaped, 8–27 cm. long, 8–20 cm. wide, dense, leafy, glabrous or puberulous or densely glandular-pilose; primary axis of individual inflorescences up to 9 cm. long, angular, bearing 1–3 scattered reduced leaves up to 1 cm. long, 0.3 cm. wide; pedicels up to 7 mm. long.. Flowers 8–10-merous even on the same plant.. Calyx cupuliform, 4 mm. in diameter, 1.5 mm. deep, puberulous or glandular-pubescent, persistent in fruit; lobes triangular, 1.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, with a terminal papillose appendage.. Petals linear-lanceolate, 6 mm. long, 1.5 mm. broad, yellow, glabrous, persistent in fruit.. Stamens 16–20; filaments free, outer opposite the petals, 5 mm. long, inner 6 mm. long; anthers broadly cordate, 0.5 mm. long.. Scales rectangular to square, 0.2–0.7 mm. high, 0.5 mm. wide, shortly bidentate.. Carpels, including style, 6 mm. long, erect, glabrous or pubescent.. Seeds oblong-clavate, ± 0.8 mm. long, striate.. Fig. 4.
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