Very dwarf, succulent, spineless; body of the plant apparently subcylindric or cylindric-obconic and only rising 1 or 2 in. above the ground, 1 1/2-2 in. thick, and with a crown of 3 or 4 series of branches around the flattened tuberculate top; branches erect or ascending, 1/2-1 1/2 in. long, when dried 2 1/2-3 lin. thick, with somewhat tooth-like tubercles, glabrous; leaves 3-5 lin. long, 1/3-1/2 lin. broad, linear, acute, channelled down the face, erect, glabrous; peduncles very numerous, nearly covering the top of the plant inside the branches, about 2 lin. long, bearing 1 involucre and a pair of linear-oblong bracts 1 1/4-1 1/2 lin. long, ciliate at the apex; involucre 1/4 in. in diam., shallowly and broadly cup-shaped, glabrous, with 4-5 glands and 5 subquadrate or transverse denticulate lobes; glands distant, spreading, 3/4-1 1/4 lin. in their greater diam., transversely oblong, subentire or minutely and irregularly toothed on the outer margin, apparently yellow; ovary sessile, puberulous; styles 1 lin. long, united into a column for half their length, with broadly cuneate 2-lobed spreading arms, glabrous, capsule and seeds not seen.
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Dwarf, glabrous succulent, 20-150 mm high, stem 20-100 mm thick, projecting 10-50 mm above ground, with many cylindrical branches 5-100 x 3-10 mm in rosette on sides, green. Leaf-rudiments 2-10 x 0.5-1.5 mm, linear. Cyathia on caducous peduncle 6-25 mm long, 6-10 mm in diam.; glands 5, yellow to yellow-green, ± entire-finely 3-15-toothed on outer margin. Flowering time Oct.-Apr. Capsule 4-6 mm in diam., glabrous.
Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
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