Erect, sparingly branched, evergreen, glabrous succulent herb to 500 mm tall. Roots fibrous. Branches terete, 4 mm in diameter, grey-green. Leaves decussate but initially crowded in a basal sub-imbricate rosette 45-50 x 26-28 mm ascending to become erect and arranged in a vertical plane which appears to be distichous; leaf blade dorsiventrally compressed, broadly ovate to obovate; base cuneate, auriculate; surface pale greyish to purplish green due to a powdery bloom and beset with minute purplish dots; margin yellowish, entire; petiole indistinct, apex acute to subacute, mucronate. Inflorescence an ascending sparse rounded thyrse to 450 mm high bearing several dichasia; peduncle 2-4 several leaf-like bracts becoming smaller and narrower upwards. Calyx lobes; linear triangular 4-7 x 1 mm. Corolla orange-red, urceolate, tube bulging at the base for 7-8 mm then ampulliform for 6-7 mm, long on ascending pedicles 3-10 mm long; lobes lanceolate, becoming horizontally spreading, 5-6 x 2.5 mm long apex acute; anthers 8 in two whorls, 0.3-0.4 mm fused to corolla tube just above the middle; carpels 4.7 x 2 mm, tapering into erect styles and terminal stigmas; squamae linear, translucent 3 mm long. Seed oblong, slightly flattened and curved with distinct vertical ridges, 0.4 x 0.2 mm.