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Spine shields 2.5–7.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, obtriangular, brown, with a narrow dark margin when young, becoming grey; spines 1–4 mm long, widely diverging, deflexed; prickles 1–2.5 mm long.
Cymes solitary, simple, with peduncles 1–2.5 mm long, purplish; cyme branches to 3 mm long; bracts c. 1 × 0.75 mm, ovate to oblong, truncate, maroon.
Male flowers c. 10: bracteoles few, c. 2.5 mm long, filiform to very narrowly oblong, denticulate; stamens c. 5 mm long, anther cells dull cerise.
Branches usually simple, up to 23 cm long and 10 mm in diameter, subcylindric; tubercles in 3–5 spiral series, 5–10 mm apart.
Female flower: styles 2.5 mm long, spreading, recurved, ± free to the base, apices shortly bilobed.
Spiny succulent shrublets to c. 25 cm high, branching freely from the base, forming large clumps.
Seeds c. 1.8 × 1.3 mm, ± ellipsoid, prominently verrucose, brown.
Capsule 3 × 3.5 mm, obtusely lobed, barely exserted.
Leaves 0.75 × 0.75 mm, ovate-acute, deciduous.
