Dioecious, thorny shrub to 1.5 m. Leaves in tufts on short shoots, succulent, bright green, narrowly ovate or obovate, 9-13 x 2-3 mm. Flowers functionally unisexual, tubular, deep purple, often paler outside, 11-13 mm long with petals 2.5 mm long, stamens inserted just below middle of tube, included or shortly exserted. Berries 7-8 mm diam., red.