Very dwarf, succulent, spineless, but with persistent remains of the peduncles on its branches; body of the plant in the specimen seen 2 in. in diam., obconic, flat at the top and there marked out by depressed lines into octagonal flattened areas with a very short point at their centre on the outer part, gradually passing into much smaller hexagonal and very shortly and obliquely conical tubercles at the central part, producing around the outer part of the top about 3 series of very short branches, glabrous, fleshy, dull green; branches arising between the octagonal areas, about 2-4 lin. apart, the outer or longest about 1/3 in. long, the others shorter, cylindric and 2 1/2-3 lin. thick, but dilated and stouter at the base, obtuse, covered with small convex hexagonal tubercles about 1 lin. in diam., finally withering and deciduous or bending down on the main body; leaves very rudimentary and soon deciduous, 1/2 lin. long, ovate, acute; peduncles 2-4 to a branch in a season, arising from the axils of the tubercles at the ends of the branches, spreading, 2-5 lin. long, withering and persisting, bearing 3-4 minute ciliate deciduous bracts near or at the middle, distant from the solitary involucre, glabrous, green; involucre 1 1/2-1 3/4 lin. in diam. and about as deep, campanulate, glabrous outside, dull reddish, with 5 glands and 5 rounded minutely puberulous lobes; glands distant, about 1/2 lin. in diam., erect, circular as seen from above, entire, fleshy, with a rather deep central cavity, green; ovary sessile, glabrous; styles united into a column 3/4-1 1/4 lin. long, with revolute arms 1/3-1 1/4 lin. long, according to maturity.
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