Seedlings and young plants from ± 30 cm. high producing branches to 1 m. or more long which trail on the ground, take root and produce new plants, eventually forming dense stands of trees. Mature tree to 7 m. high; trunk simple or with a few short side-branches, to 15 cm. in diameter; bark pale grey marked with rings of ± 6 pit-scars resulting from fallen branches at intervals of ± 15 cm.; trunk terminating in a small rounded crown of loosely clustered radiating branches to 1.5 m. long, each with a few whorls of branchlets to ± 15 cm. long, seldom rebranching; terminal branchlets fleshy, 3(–4)-angled, 1–2 cm. wide, deeply winged, not noticeably constricted; angles distincdy sinuately toothed, with teeth ± 1 cm. apart.. Spine-shields shortly triangular, 1 × 1.5 mm. above the spines, decurrent for 1–3 mm.; spines slender, 3–8 mm. long, black; prickles minute, triangular, sometimes obsolete.. Leaves deltoid, ± 1 × 1 mm.. Cymes solitary, 1-forked, subsessile; bracts deltoid, ± 1.5 × 2 mm.. Cyathia ± 2 × 4.5 mm., with cup-shaped involucres; glands transversely elliptic, ± 1.5 × 2 mm., greenish yellow, just touching with the inner margin slightly raised; lobes subcircular, ± 1 mm. in diameter.. Male flowers: bracteoles spathulate, plumose; stamens 3.8 mm. long.. Female flower: styles 1.5 mm. long, joined at the base, apices thickened, rugose, bifid.. Capsule exserted on a reflexed pedicel to 6 mm. long, distinctly 3-lobed, ± 4.5 × 6.5 mm.. Seeds ovoid, 3 × 2.8 mm., grey and faintly mottled, smooth.
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