Tufted succulent perennial with a fleshy rootstock; stems branching densely from the base, unbranched above; branches to 15 cm. long and 5–8 mm. thick, subcylindrical, bright yellow-green, conspicuously striped longitudinally with darker or sometimes purplish green; branches with prominent teeth 5–10 mm. apart in 4 longitudinal series.. Spinescence brown; spine-shields triangular, 1–2 × 2–2.5 mm. above the spine-shields, decurrent 1–5.5 mm.; spines to 10 mm. long; prickles 1–2 mm. long.. Leaves deltoid, 1 mm. long.. Cymes solitary, 1-forked, with peduncles and cyme-branches ± 2.5 mm. long; bracts subquadrate, ± 1.5 × 1 mm.. Cyathia ± 2.5 × 4 mm., with funnel-shaped involucres; glands transversely elliptic, ± 1 × 1.75 mm., just touching, yellow becoming reddish; lobes subcircular, ± 1.25 mm. in diameter, red.. Male flowers: bracteoles fan-shaped, deeply dentate; stamens 3.5 mm. long.. Female flower: styles 2 mm. long, apices thickened.. Capsule subsessile, obtusely 3-lobed, ± 2.5 × 3 mm., reddish.. Seeds ovoid, 2.25 × 1.25 mm., grey, tuberculate.
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