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Succulent spiny shrub or rarely a small tree to 2(2.75) m high, at first branching from the base, eventually forming a stout greyish trunk to c. 1 m tall and c. 12 cm in diameter with a dense crown of crowded, spreading-ascending branches.
Spine shields joined, forming a conspicuous whitish, horny margin c. 3 mm wide; spines widely diverging, to 8 mm long at base of segments, shorter towards the apex, often much reduced; prickles minute.
Cymes 3 at each flowering eye, simple, with lateral cyathia vertically arranged; peduncles and cyme branches c. 1 mm long; bracts 1.5–2.5 × 1 mm, broadly ovate, truncate, denticulate.
Cyathia with involucres 3 × 3–3.5 mm, narrowly obconic; glands 1.5–2 mm broad, transversely narrowly elliptic, touching, orange-yellow; lobes 0.75 × 0.75 mm, subquadrate.
Female flower: ovary subglobose, perianth rim-like; styles 1.5–2 mm long, united for c. 1 mm, spreading above, stigmas shortly bifid.
Capsule 3 × 5.5–6 mm, acutely lobed, truncate at the base, exserted on a recurved pedicel to 9 mm long.
Leaves to 34 × 4 mm, linear to narrowly ovate, spreading recurved, sessile, caducous.
Male flowers numerous: bracteoles 1.75 mm long, filiform; stamens 4 mm long.
Seeds 2 mm in diameter, globose, smooth, pale yellow-brown, mottled.
