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Dwarf succulent, up to 300 mm tall, spiny. Root and stem thickened, forming tuberous body up to 300 mm long and 150 mm thick,mostly buried in ground. Branches 3-angled, strongly spirally twisted. Flowers yellow.
Spine shields usually joined in a continuous horny margin, but separate at the constrictions; spines to 2.5 cm long, reduced to c. 2 mm at the constrictions; prickles vestigial.
Cyathia to 4 × 7 mm with cup-shaped involucres; glands transversely oblong, c. 3.5 mm wide, touching, yellow; lobes rounded, c. 1.5 × 1.5 mm, denticulate.
Caespitose dwarf spiny succulent perennial, with a large elongated tuberous root merging into a short underground stem to form a body to 30 × 15 cm.
Male flowers: bracteoles c. 3.5 mm long, laciniate; stamens c. 6 mm long, well exserted.
Cymes solitary, simple, with peduncles 2–4 mm long; bracts oblong, c. 2.5 mm long.
Female flower: styles c. 2 mm long, joined to halfway, apices spreading, bifid.
Capsule c. 1 cm in diameter, obtusely lobed, sessile.
Seeds c. 3 × 2.5 mm, subglobose, buff, smooth.
Leaves minute, fleshy, deciduous.
