Fibrous rooted succulent perennial, with stems shortly rhizomatous, decumbent and weakly erect to 45 cm. high, sparsely branching; stems and branches sharply 4-angled, 5–10 mm. thick, irregularly blotched with pale and darker green; angles with shallow teeth 1–1.5 cm. apart.. Spinescence reddish brown becoming grey; spine-shields very slender, ± 2 mm. long above the spines, decurrent up to 10 mm. and halfway to 5 mm. above the flowering eye below; spines slender, to 12 mm. long; prickles rudimentary, to 0.5 mm. long.. Leaves deltoid, ± 1.5 × 1.5 mm.. Cymes solitary, 1-forked, with cyme-branches ± 2 mm. long; bracts subquadrate, ± 1.25 × 1 mm.. Cyathia ± 2.5 × 5 mm., with broadly funnel-shaped involucres; glands transversely rectangular, ± 1.5 × 3 mm., contiguous, ruby-red; lobes transversely elliptic, ± 1 × 1.5 mm.. Male flowers: bracteoles ligulate, dentate; stamens 3.5 mm. long.. Female flower: styles 1.5 mm. long, free, apices thickened.. Capsule shortly exserted on a pedicel 2 mm. long, obtusely 3-lobed, ± 2.5 × 3.5 mm., dark red.. Seeds ovoid, 1.8 × 1.4 mm., pale greyish-brown, tuberculate-rugose.
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